Star-crossed
by Alicia223
Summary: Lorne/OC. Dr Olivia Meyers is sent to Atlantis to study the Ancients. She intends to keep her head down, work hard and avoid any romantic entanglements. Then a chance encounter with a certain major late one night changes her life completely.
1. Sweat drenched

Disclaimer: Basically, any characters/elements you recognise don't belong to me. Every character you don't recognise belongs to me.

A/N: I really wanted to write a Lorne story and here it is. I hope there's still plenty of Lorne love around the place! I've posted more info about the story on my profile page. Just quickly, I'm Australian so I use British spelling and punctuation.

The story begins during season two of SGA, which makes it set in 2005. Particularly, this chapter is set during 'Instinct'.

Reviews would be much appreciated!

* * *

Clutching a cup of tea to her chest, Dr Olivia Meyers settled herself into the large, plush armchair. She rummaged in the bag she'd brought along and pulled out her new tablet computer. She kicked off her shoes next and drew her feet up so she could sit crossed legged, the data pad positioned across her lap.

She certainly hadn't been expecting to find something this lush and comfortable on Atlantis. Admittedly, she had only been in the city for a week so far, but it had all gone by in a blur of cold steel and consoles and computers.

The idea that there was at least one room in Atlantis completely devoid of technology somehow made her very happy. She'd found the room only a few days after arriving. The trip on the Daedalus had made her feel more than a little restless and as a result, she'd been compelled to spend her first few days doing nothing but exploring. This section of the city had only been cleared a week or so before she arrived so it had been crawling with technicians and scientists at first.

Everyone quickly deemed this room of little use and moved on. Olivia was glad, that meant she'd had the room to herself the last two times she'd visited and tonight was no different. She had started to think of the place as a reading room. Filled with white couches, armchairs, side tables and lamps, she could think of no other use for such a relaxed space.

A familiar thrill ran through her body as she activated her tablet and scrolled through a list of newly downloaded information. She had allowed herself a week to settle in before starting work. Today had been her first day of official work on Atlantis and it had been nothing short of astounding. She had barely scratched the surface of the Ancient database and her computer was already groaning with hours and hours worth of reading material.

Translating as she went would be annoying and time consuming. She'd have to read everything twice to fully understand it. But since her grasp of Ancient was far from perfect, the practice would come in handy. Still, she made a mental note to try to become fast friends with one of the linguists on the expedition.

Olivia set aside her tea and focussed her mind to adjust the lighting in the room. The main lights turned off and she concentrated on the table lamps, turning on the one beside her and the one closest to the door. Might as well only use as much power as she needed to. She briefly contemplated shutting the door but quickly decided against it. She wasn't very experienced with using the ATA gene yet and the last thing she needed was to end up trapped alone in an isolated part of the city.

Letting out a contented sigh, she retrieved her tea and selected a random file. Sliding quickly down the screen, she realised it was some sort of epic poem. For about the thousandth time that week, she thanked her lucky stars that she had been selected to join the Atlantis expedition. Settling back, she began to read slowly, letting the words wash over her and lead her mind away from the small cosy room.

Olivia lost track of time quickly. She'd been in the room for three hours now and had finished going through five files already. It was approaching what passed for midnight on Lantea, and though she wasn't tired, she figured it was about time to return to her quarters. As far as she knew, there was no curfew in the city, but it would be prudent not to push her luck in her first few days on the base.

She selected one final file and was pleased to see this was another poem. The first one had been amazing, similar in content and tone to Homer's Iliad. This poem was shorter and appeared to be lamenting a lost love. The academic in Olivia was surprised to see that poetry written thousands of years ago in a different galaxy could be so similar in theme to works written back on Earth only a relatively short time ago.

The romantic in her, however, wasn't very surprised. In her studies of various civilisations through the ages, she had always found that love and war were the two human experiences written about most often.

She supposed that since love and death were the two most visceral feelings that anyone could hope to experience it was only fitting that they be the most conducive to producing truly beautiful, profound words.

Oliva had only read the first few lines when she was interrupted by the sound of footsteps out in the corridor. Someone was running down the hallway towards her little sanctuary. She froze, hoping whoever it was would just keep on running by. The heavy footsteps gradually slowed as they approached and she realised that wasn't going to happen.

She kept one eye on the door and one on her data pad, determined not to look suspicious or guilty when whoever it was showed up.

"Hello? Is there someone in here?"

As a figure appeared in the shadow of the doorway, she looked up and tried to appear as innocent as possible. "Yes, someone's in here. Sorry. I was just about to leave anyway."

"And may I ask what you're doing all the way out here in the first place?"

It was a man. That was the most she could gather from the voice and silhouette so far. His tone of voice was hard to place, too. Authoritative but with a hint of curiosity? He was breathing heavily, as if he'd been running for a while.

"I was just doing a little reading," she explained, waving the glowing tablet in the air. "Sorry again if I broke a rule by being here so late. Am I in some sort of trouble?"

The man stepped across the threshold of the room and into the light. He regarded her slowly, as if he doubted her sincerity. She took the opportunity to look him over as well. He was a little taller than her, wearing a pair of grey sweat pants and a black t-shirt pulled tight across a broad chest and shoulders. A dark triangle of sweat that had soaked through below his collar confirmed that he had indeed been running for a while.

He didn't seem angry at finding her there, but his face wasn't exactly friendly either. And it was a handsome face she noticed immediately. Strong features were schooled into an expression of mild irritation. The fact that his face was covered in a fine sheen of sweat did nothing to detract from his looks. His short brown hair was sticking up in sweaty spikes as if he'd been running his hands through it recently.

Thoroughly intrigued, Olivia put her computer aside and leant forward to rest her elbows on her knees. "Am I in trouble?" she repeated.

He took another step into the room, narrowing his eyes questioningly. "Should you be?"

"Of course not. Unless it's a crime here to lose track of time while reading."

"Were you reading for work or pleasure?"

Olivia frowned at the sudden change of tone. "A little of both," she admitted. "Look, if you need to report me to your superior officer or something…"

"Who said I was military?" the man asked, raising an amused eyebrow.

She let out a soft laugh at his attempt to throw her off. "Well, that much is pretty obvious. I've known a fair few academics and scientists in my time and none of them go on midnight runs. Most of them are asleep at their desks by then."

"That sounds like an unfair stereotype."

"Maybe so, but it's an apt one all the same. I'm right though, aren't I?"

"Yeah," he conceded eventually. He eyed her thoughtfully and folded his arms across his chest, which only served to accentuate his military build. "Since you're so smart, which branch of the military do I serve in?"

Olivia tapped her index finger to her chin and looked him up and down slowly. "Marines?"

"Ah, not so smart after all." He dropped his arms and moved to lean over the back of the couch across from her. "US Air Force."

She waited for him to introduce himself, but he seemed content to just stand there and stare at her. Unperturbed by the scrutiny, she smiled cheerfully and decided to go first. "Okay then, strong and silent type. I can work with that. I'm Dr Olivia Meyers and I arrived last week on the Daedalus."

"Nice to meet you, Dr Meyers."

More silence and more staring. "And here would be where you tell me _your_ name," she prompted slowly.

A smile spread across her visitor's face and Olivia found herself letting out an involuntarily loud breath. The man had a lethal set of dimples. He moved around from behind the couch and extended his hand towards her. "I'm Evan."

"Nice to meet you," she replied, shaking the offered hand briskly. "No rank or last name?"

"It's just Evan when I'm not on duty." He stepped back and perched himself on the arm of the couch. "So are you the medical kind of doctor or…"

"The useless kind?" she supplied helpfully.

"Well, I was just gonna say the _other_ kind, but okay."

Olivia shrugged, not bothered because she herself found her chosen profession often lacked a little significance when compared to a medical doctor. "I'm the latter, I'm afraid. Never saved anyone's life, but I do have a PhD in anthropology that comes in handy from time to time."

"Anthropologist, huh? Thought we already had a few of those around."

"There's two others," she confirmed. "But my speciality is different to theirs. I use this thing called ethnohistory to study cultures."

"History? That doesn't sound like it fits in with the other scientists around here."

"Tell me about it," she replied darkly. "But I doubt you want to hear about the internal politics of the research departments on Atlantis."

"Maybe some other time," he agreed, shooting her another killer smile. "So I know you're reading but why so late and why all the way out here?"

"The longer day is throwing me a bit, plus I'm still too excited to sleep," she admitted sheepishly. "And this place is more comfortable than my quarters. I think my mattress might be stuffed with rocks."

"Yeah, mine too." Evan nodded sympathetically and looked around the room. "I guess I buy that. Certainly a nice place you've got yourself here."

"Thank you. I've arbitrarily decided it's a reading room. So, we've established what I'm doing here. What's your excuse for being out so late?"

"Just came off security detail. I like to take a run whenever I finish. Helps to burn off any extra adrenalin so I can get to sleep quicker. I decided to come all the way out here because I haven't had a chance to check out this section since it was cleared."

She watched as he wiped his face on his sleeve and suddenly remembered that she had brought along a bottle of water. She fished it out of her bag and tossed it across to him.

"Thanks, Doc. Left mine back in my quarters."

"No problem," she said as he downed the whole thing in a few gulps. He tossed the empty bottle back and she stashed it in her bag.

"So, what's so interesting that you lost track of time anyway?" Evan asked, nodding towards her forgotten tablet.

"Just some Ancient poetry at the moment."

"The Ancients wrote poetry?"

"Yeah, they did a lot of things," she said, trying not to sound exasperated. "That's part of why I'm here. I specialise in ancient cultures. I'm here to compile a comprehensive history of their civilisation so everyone remembers they did things other than just build Gates and ships."

"Okay, then let me hear some of this poetry."

Olivia's eyes narrowed sceptically. "You like poetry, Evan?"

"Couldn't tell you one way or the other." He shrugged half-heartedly. "I haven't really paid much attention to it before."

Smiling to herself, she gathered up her tablet and scrolled back to the start of the poem. "Do you read Ancient at all?"

Evan chuckled. "Believe it or not, learning Ancient wasn't really a priority at the Academy."

She shook her head in mock outrage. "Well, that's disappointing. I think I'm going to have to send a letter to the Pentagon about that."

"So can you read it out to me?"

"Sure, but I'm not that adept at Ancient myself yet so it's probably going to lose a little something in translation. Ancient has so many more nuances than English."

"So I've heard," he drawled.

Olivia grinned and began to read, trying her best to do justice to the words on her screen. Every few seconds she would look up from beneath her lashes to gauge his reaction. For the duration of the poem he just stared out the window over her shoulder, his face twisted into an endearing sort of frown.

She finished with a flourish, letting the final word hang in the silence of the room for a moment before she spoke again. "Well? What do you think?"

"I liked it," he concluded after considerable thought. "I'm no expert though. Would you say it's a good poem?"

"I'd say it's a glorious poem," she said softly.

A long silence stretched between them and Olivia became hyper-aware of the situation. She'd just read a love poem out loud to a complete stranger. A hot stranger, sure, but a stranger nonetheless. The semi-darkness only heightened the intimacy and the quietness stretched so far around them that for all intents and purposes they might have been the only two people in the city.

Evan broke the silence first. "I had better get back to my quarters."

"Yeah, good idea. I'm starting to feel a little tired."

"Do you need me to help you get back?"

For a moment, Olivia contemplated saying yes just so she could spend some more time with him. "No thanks. I have a map somewhere on my data pad if I get lost."

Evan stood up and gave her one last contemplative look. "Well, goodnight, Dr Meyers. I guess I'll see you around the place."

The idea of bumping into this man regularly was definitely something to look forward to. "Goodnight," she replied warmly.

He turned and made for the door, pausing at the threshold to peer back over his shoulder at her. "Welcome to Atlantis, Doc."

Olivia stared into the dark corridor, not feeling the least bit tired anymore.

* * *

The following morning, Olivia decided to take some time to set up her new lab to her liking. She worked hard, moving methodically from one task to the next in an effort to keep her mind occupied. But inevitably, her thoughts always returned to the man she met last night. So far, she had only barely resisted the urge to run a quick search through the personnel database.

The bottom line was, she hadn't come to Atlantis for the men. There were plenty of them on Earth and they'd still be there when she got back. There was important work to be done in the Pegasus Galaxy and distractions weren't going to help the situation. Even when said distraction was all kinds of gorgeous.

And just like that, she was gone again, her mind filling up with images of dimples and biceps and sweat drenched shirts.

"Knock, knock!"

Olivia dropped her stack of books in surprise. A tell-tale blush crept over her face even though no one could possibly know what she had been thinking. She had been so preoccupied that she'd completely forgotten that the two microbiologists who shared the lab next door had offered to take her to lunch.

She quickly scrambled to retrieve her books, willing her cheeks to stop glowing. Sophie, a delicate little Frenchwoman, knelt down to help her. "Sorry, we didn't mean to startle you."

"It's okay, you just caught me daydreaming," she said, forcing a little laugh.

"Don't worry, love, soon you won't have five spare minutes to yourself to do any daydreaming," Emma replied in her thick British accent.

Olivia dumped her books on the table and sighed gratefully. Sophie and Emma would help take her mind off things. Where Sophie was demure and soft spoken, Emma was excitable and brash. They were an odd pair and Olivia had been looking forward to spending time with them.

The trio eventually made their way to the mess hall and settled at an empty table with their trays. Olivia's eyes roamed all over the room. It was a sea of Atlantis uniforms and BDUs and the constant chatter provided a steady background hum. Morale was clearly up at the moment.

"You've arrived at a great time," Sophie confirmed. "Things haven't been this relaxed in a while."

"Yeah, I haven't been evacuated or confined to my quarters in ages," Emma added with a cackle.

"So the Wraith still think the city was destroyed?"

Sophie shrugged. "I suppose so. You'd have to ask Dr Weir or Colonel Sheppard."

"We're not exactly in the loop around here," Emma explained, a tinge of bitterness in her voice. "Most of our information is taken straight from the dodgy Atlantis grapevine."

Olivia nodded sympathetically and poked half-heartedly at her food. She could see why Dr Weir would choose to hold back some information, but she also knew how it felt to be kept in the dark. Still, she had decided back on Earth that she would keep her head down and avoid all the political wrangling on Atlantis.

A bottle of water suddenly appeared on the table in front of her, breaking Olivia from her reverie. Surprised, she looked up into a pair of blue eyes. It was a few seconds before she realised who she was looking at.

"Figure I owed you one, Doc," Evan said.

"Thanks," Olivia said once she had recovered enough to form sensible words. She hadn't noticed his eyes in the dark last night. Now he stood before her in the black accented Atlantis uniform worn by all military personnel. He looked different but still just as good.

He turned and walked away without another word. She watched him leave and gradually became aware that Sophie and Emma were both now staring at her.

"What?"

"Seriously?" Emma hissed. "You're already on speaking terms with Major Lorne?"

"I didn't realise I was," Olivia said slowly. "Major Lorne?"

"Yes, he's kind of a big deal around here," Sophie said, her voice lowered conspiratorially.

"Militarily speaking, anyway."

Olivia's eyes widened as it dawned on her. She knew she had heard the name before, also read it in the information pack she'd received back on Earth. She even recalled hearing his name mentioned around the SGC. "He's Colonel Sheppard's second in command, right?"

Emma nodded. "Only been here a few months so far. He doesn't really pay much attention to us civilians from what I've heard."

"Clearly he's paid attention to one of us."

"Clearly," Emma agreed, speaking to Sophie as if Olivia wasn't sitting right there. "I'd like to know what they were doing that required a bottle of water."

"Hmm, something quite strenuous, no?"

"Sounds like it."

"All right," Olivia interrupted. "If you must know we met last night when he was taking a run through the city."

"And?"

"And nothing. We spoke for all of five minutes," she said, waving her hand dismissively.

"That's still five minutes more than me," Emma said.

"Now that I know who he is, I'm sure I'll never speak to him again. Does that make you feel any better?"

"You've got to be kidding!" Emma reached across the table and seized her hand. "You had better try to talk to him again. You've got him to acknowledge you, don't stop there."

Olivia pulled her hand away abruptly. She really didn't need any encouragement right now. They were supposed to be taking her mind _off_ him. "This isn't a singles' cruise, ladies. I'm here to work."

Sophie rolled her eyes. "Everyone says that when they first arrive. Trust me, you'll succumb after only a few months of self-imposed celibacy."

"It won't be like that for me," Olivia said stubbornly. "I had some bad relationships back on Earth and now I'm actually looking forward to being alone for a while."

Sophie and Emma gave her sceptical looks, but dropped the issue. The conversation moved on to work and Olivia tuned out briefly. She wasn't the type to lock herself away in her lab and ignore everyone and everything. That would have made things easier.

Truthfully, she wasn't entirely sure her resolve would hold out, not if Evan Lorne was going to keep showing up in her life.


	2. Random acquaintances

A/N: This chapter is set just after the events of 'Conversion'.

Once again, I love reviews!

* * *

Atlantis was beautiful at sunset. It was beautiful all the time, really. But there was something extra special about it at dusk.

Olivia paused on a balcony to enjoy the view. The sun on Lantea was just beginning to dip below the horizon. It bathed the city's towers and spires in an ethereal golden glow. The ocean beyond was a vast expanse of blue-green serenity, stretched out as far as the eye could see.

Only that morning she had come across a wonderfully written ode to the city. Since reading it, she had started to see Atlantis through new eyes. She couldn't imagine how hard it was for the Ancients to abandon the city like they did. It already felt like home to her and the fact that she would have to leave one day made her chest tighten.

Dr Daniel Jackson had been the one to introduce her to the Stargate Program almost two years ago. He had campaigned hard to have her sent to Atlantis in his stead. The IOA wasn't particularly interested in her work, but he had managed to get them to agree to one year. After that, she was simply expected to return to Earth and live a quiet life at the SGC.

Olivia had quickly realised that even if she spent the rest of her life on Atlantis, she wouldn't be able to do justice to what the Ancients had left behind. A year wasn't going to be nearly enough time to complete her work. She was going to have to choose a few key aspects to focus on and make do with that.

Shaking off the sudden wave of melancholy, Olivia continued on her way. She'd just enjoyed an early dinner with her fellow anthropologists and now she was retiring to her reading room for a few hours. She'd started reading accounts of the original war against the Wraith. It was a fascinating insight into the Ancients and, on the plus side, the linguistics team had already translated it when the expedition first arrived

As she approached the room she noticed the lights were on inside. She gritted her teeth and began to stomp her feet loudly. Twice now she'd had to chase away amorous young couples who had co-opted her room for their make-out sessions. She was beginning to feel like a cranky old woman who was always shooing kids off her lawn.

She poked her head around the door, half closing her eyes in case there was any nastiness going on. What she saw made her heart leap into her throat. It was much worse than a pair of people dry humping on a couch.

Maybe if she just backed away slowly and didn't make a sound…

"Evening, Dr Meyers."

Attempting to appear undaunted, Olivia lifted her chin and stepped into the room. "Hello. Fancy seeing you here."

"You said it was a reading room, right?" Evan held up his tablet pointedly. "Catching up on mission reports tonight."

"Okay. Sure."

Olivia stood there awkwardly. She was caught between reclaiming her space and running for her life. It had been eight days since their last meeting (not that she was counting) and things had been going well. Sophie and Emma were leaving her alone about him and she had thrown herself into her work.

"You look surprised to see me here."

"I was just expecting to see the same thing as last time."

"And what was that?"

"One of your Marines playing grab-ass with a nurse from the infirmary."

"Ah, I thought that might happen," he said, a knowing smile teasing at the corners of his mouth. "After all, a room full of nice soft couches can be used for more than just reading, Doc."

Was he _flirting_? Definitely time to make a run for it. "I'll leave you to it then. I can read back in my quarters."

Evan got to his feet quickly, looking a little apologetic. "Don't leave on my account. I didn't mean to invade your space or anything. You can have your room back to yourself."

"It's fine. It's not like I can have any personal claim to this place. By all means, stay and keep reading your reports."

"Okay. But I'll only stay if you will."

It sounded almost like a challenge. Olivia bit her lip and considered her options. Turn tail or stand her ground. Leaving would be an admission that Evan was messing with her mind. The reality was, she was a grown woman who was perfectly capable of controlling herself around an attractive man.

"Suits me."

"Wonderful," Evan replied. He gestured back to the armchair he had just vacated. "You can even have your favourite chair back."

Olivia clutched her data pad to her chest and sidled past him to sit down. "That's very gentlemanly of you, Major."

"Ah. So you know my rank and full name I take it."

She nodded in response. "Does that bother you, Major?"

"Not at all, but enough of the Major stuff," he said sternly, settling on the couch across from her. "It's Evan when I'm not on duty, remember?"

Olivia took in his appearance quickly. Sweat pants and a t-shirt again. Minus the actual sweat this time around. "Right. Evan." She allowed herself a small smile. "If that's the case, then I'd feel a lot more comfortable if you called me Olivia in return."

"Sure thing, Olivia." He sat down and stretched his legs out, his ankles crossed in between their respective chairs. He rested his data pad on his stomach and activated it, bathing his face in a soft glow.

Olivia reluctantly dragged her eyes down to her own data pad and opened up the file she had been waiting all day to check out. She began to read slowly. After reading the same line four times, it became evident that she wasn't going to be able to concentrate. Not when Evan was only a few feet away.

What exactly was he playing at? Why would he show up like this? Olivia had come to the room most nights since their initial meeting and at first she had maintained a little spark of hope. But each time he hadn't shown up. And then she had spotted him across the mess hall a few times. When he didn't so much as glance in her direction, she knew she was free and clear.

There was obviously no interest on his part. She had happily thrown herself into her work and had enjoyed making new friends throughout the city. Now she wasn't sure what to think. Had he truly come to the room just to read mission reports? Surely he could do that in his quarters.

"Is there a problem, Olivia? I'm trying to read here and you're staring at me."

Crap. His amused tone had her blushing. "No problem here," she lied.

He returned his attention to his report. The slight smirk on his face made Olivia see red. She dropped her tablet noisily on the table beside her. "Actually, you know what, there is a problem now that you mention it."

Evan put his own computer aside and regarded her innocently. "What would that be?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" she demanded. He raised his eyebrows and she regretted her tone immediately. She spoke again, a little calmer this time. "What I mean is, why are you here again?"

"You don't like me being here?"

"Well, I can't get any reading done at the moment. That I don't like."

"Sorry to put you off your game," he said, seeming sincerely apologetic.

Olivia rubbed her hands over her eyes in frustration. "It's fine, but you aren't answering my questions. Did you come here to see me?"

"That's very presumptuous of you. Besides, I couldn't have known you would show up."

"Then what are you doing here tonight?"

He hesitated visibly. For the first time since she'd first spoken to him, he seemed unsure of himself. Olivia shifted so she could curl up comfortably in her chair. She deliberately kept quiet, allowing him to talk only when he was ready.

"This place is peaceful. I like it," he said finally.

"Okay." She knew that wasn't the whole story but again she simply waited for him to offer something further.

"I've had a tough couple of days," he continued, his tone of voice indicating that they were getting to the crux of things. "You heard about Colonel Sheppard, I assume."

"That he turned into a huge bug? Yeah, it got around," she answered wryly. "That must have been hard to watch."

"It was. But he's fine now. That man has more lives than a cat."

The conversation stalled again. Evan closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He suddenly seemed exhausted and a little vulnerable. Olivia dug her fingernails into the arms of the chair to prevent herself from leaping over to comfort him. His head fell back and he stared up at the ceiling.

"I lost two men trying to save Sheppard."

Olivia stifled a groan. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her hand to her forehead. How had she forgotten about that? It hadn't taken long for word to spread through the city after it had happened. The military contingency had been hit particularly hard by it. The men who'd died had been well respected and well liked.

Aside from being thankful that Evan had survived, Olivia hadn't spent too much time thinking about the loss of two soldiers she had never met. Now she felt awful.

"I'm really sorry, Evan."

"Me too."

He brought his gaze back to her but she couldn't manage to maintain eye contact for very long. "I'm not really sure what else to say," she admitted, staring fixedly at her hands.

"I don't expect you to say anything," he replied softly.

They sat in heavy silence for a moment before Olivia was finally able to meet his eyes and ask, "Were both men from your team?"

"Neither of them was. My team was already scheduled to escort a geologist off-world when Sheppard got sick. Since my guys already knew the terrain and the locals, I sent them along with Lieutenant Edison and I took his team with me. And I lost them."

Olivia frowned and leant forward. "It sounds like you're blaming yourself, Evan. It wasn't your fault, you know."

"Once I get a bit of distance I'll probably realise that but right now it feels like it's my fault. It was a risky op to begin with."

"I'm the first to admit I have no real expertise with military stuff, but you were trying to save your CO, right? It seems to me that you didn't have a choice. You couldn't very well let him die without at least attempting to do something about it."

Evan sighed and the sound hit her right in the pit of her stomach. "I had to make a split second decision and I know I did the right thing. I'm not second-guessing my actions during the mission; I just wish I had evaluated the risks better first. Maybe pulled out _before_ everything went to hell."

Olivia nodded, not wanting to press for further details. Provided it wasn't classified, she could read the official mission report later to get an idea of what he was talking about without forcing him to relive it. "At least Colonel Sheppard has recovered. It's gotta be a relief to have him back."

Evan gratefully accepted her attempt to relieve the tension by talking about the positives. "Yeah, just between you and me, Colonel Caldwell was a pain in the ass. He was pulling me into meetings every five minutes to undo all the work Sheppard and I had already done around here."

Olivia nodded thoughtfully at this. She appreciated that Evan needed to blow off a little steam to her about a superior officer. The brief insight into the military leaders of Atlantis confirmed her first impressions of the place. She hadn't met Colonel Sheppard yet but she had introduced herself to Colonel Caldwell back on the Daedalus. He'd seemed like the stereotypical military man. Pretty much the opposite of what she knew of Sheppard.

Evan seemed a little more relaxed now that he had managed to get some things off his chest. He still looked awfully tired though.

"Look, Evan, I'm sorry I interrogated you before. I should have realised you had come here for a little peace."

He shrugged, seeming to let go of the rest of the tension he'd been carrying in his shoulders. "Don't worry about it. I did kind of move in on your private little corner of Atlantis."

"Actually someone did that before you," she pointed out, scowling at the memory of what she had walked in on before.

Evan smiled, a sight she welcomed with one of her own. "If it happens again just mention that you've seen me in here and word will get around. No military personnel will try it again."

"Thanks. I'll give that a try."

The sadness in the room had dissipated gradually, only to be replaced by palpable electricity. Evan was watching her closely now, his keen eyes roaming all over her face. She suddenly felt self-conscious and wished that she had thought to put on some make-up or brush her curly brown hair into some semblance of a neat hairstyle.

Evan leant forward, bringing them even closer together. "You look a little uneasy, Olivia. I feel like it's time for me to put you out of your misery and set the record straight here."

"Okay," she said slowly.

"You've got nothing to worry about being around me. I'm not stalking you or anything sinister like that."

"Well, that's…always good to know, I guess."

"More to the point, I'm not interested in you in that way. You don't have to worry about that either."

"I wasn't worried," she said quickly. "I just want to be clear that I'm not looking for a relationship."

"You think I am? I'm career military. That doesn't exactly make relationships easy."

Now Olivia officially felt foolish. Of course Evan wasn't pursuing her. He was as focussed on his job as she was. It turned out they had both been on the same page this whole time. She had been stressing herself out for nothing.

"And something purely physical would just complicate my life on the base," he said coyly. "Just in case that was going to be your next question."

"It wasn't, but thanks all the same for the clarification."

"So, are we fine now?"

"Of course. I'm a lot happier knowing where I stand."

Evan extended his hand towards her. "Good. Then we're simply members of a top secret expedition drawn together randomly because we happen to like the same room."

She shook his hand and nodded firmly. "Deal."

He flopped back into his seat with an exaggerated sigh of relief. "Well thank God for that. I'll let you know when we can upgrade from random acquaintances to friends, shall I?"

Olivia grinned cheekily and drew her knees up to her chest to get comfortable again. "That's interesting. I've heard you don't make friends with scientists."

"Word of advice, stop listening to the Atlantis rumour mill straight away. Most of it's rubbish. Case in point, I'm a very nice guy and I have nothing but respect for all the wonderful scientists here."

"Dr McKay is telling everyone you let him get kidnapped."

Evan rolled his eyes wearily. "You should _definitely_ stop listening to anything McKay says."

"If you say so."

There was silence for a moment and Olivia contemplated resuming her reading. But she didn't move. She wanted to keep talking. There was a surprising ease between them. It was comforting and very welcome. Olivia gave him a small encouraging smile that she hoped he read as a cue to keep talking.

"How are you settling into Atlantis so far?" Evan asked, looking pleased that she wasn't going back to her reading.

"The city itself is great. I love it already."

"What about the people?"

Olivia rubbed at her neck awkwardly. Surely, he didn't want to hear her problems. "It's just taking some getting used to."

"You're having issues finding your place around here," he guessed. "I think it happens with everyone who comes over on the Daedalus. The original expedition members went through so much together that they're a pretty tight-knit group."

"Plus, it didn't take long for everyone to work out who I was and how I got here," Olivia blurted. She hadn't meant to bring it up, but for some reason she couldn't resist spilling her guts to this man.

Evan frowned and narrowed his eyes. "Someone hassling you?"

"Not openly."

"Come on, Olivia. I just unloaded my problems onto you. It's only fair if you do the same. I might even be able to help you."

"It'd take too long to explain the whole thing," Olivia said dismissively. Evan opened his mouth to protest and she held up a hand quickly. "Suffice to say, the academic community as a whole is intensely competitive. Everyone on Atlantis had to fight hard to get here. I've noticed a little animosity towards me from certain quarters because of how I ended up here."

"And how exactly did you end up here with us?"

"You know Dr Jackson, right?"

Evan smirked. "Yeah, I had the pleasure of working with him once."

"We move in similar academic circles. I came to his attention when I published a few articles in some anthropology journals. He was the one who introduced me to the Stargate Program. Anyway, to cut a long story short, he was supposed to come to Atlantis. He should have come out on the Deadalus with the first personnel drop but he was kinda unconscious when it left. Then bad things started happening on Earth and now he's needed back there indefinitely."

"The Ori," Evan said, nodding. "They don't sound like much fun."

"They aren't. When it became obvious Dr Jackson wasn't going to get to Atlantis, he approached me and asked if I'd like to go in his place. Of course, I said yes immediately. So, he went to the IOA for me. It took a lot of work on his part, but I got here."

"I see. So some of your colleagues don't think you got here on your own merits."

"They all had to work really hard to get here. I didn't even have a face-to-face meeting with the IOA reps. Daniel handled everything for me."

For a moment, Olivia contemplated adding that she was only there for a year, but a niggling feeling stopped her. It wasn't something he needed to know. Not yet at least.

"Well, your work was good enough to get you noticed by Dr Jackson, that should be enough to shut your colleagues up about your qualifications."

Olivia smiled a little sadly. "You'd think so, but we can be quite petty people."

"If it makes you feel any better, I faced similar reactions when I became XO. There were original expedition members with equivalent ranks who could have been given the job just as easily. But the SGC picked me, and the feeling among some people was that I only got it because I was Air Force like Sheppard."

"The Marine Corps doesn't seem like a group you want to piss off," Olivia commented with a grin.

"Definitely not. But everything's all right now. I just had to prove that I had a right to be here and that I was good at my job. Once you do the same, things will get better for you. Just remember you deserve to be here just as much as I do."

Olivia nodded thoughtfully. She'd been telling herself the same thing for two weeks. But hearing it from Evan seemed to make it resonate more.

"I never would have thought I'd find common ground with an Air Force officer."

"Because I'm just a knuckle-dragger?"

"No," Olivia said quickly, then relaxed when he laughed. "I just meant we're from different worlds. That's all."

"But you hardly know me," Evan pointed out. "Give it a little time and you never know, we may have plenty of common ground."

"I hope that's true," she replied sincerely. "You're nice to talk to."

He flashed his dimples at her. "Considering I'm just a knuckle-dragger?"

Olivia just laughed and shook her head. If all military guys were like this then she was beginning to regret never making an effort to talk to any others. Deep down, though, she suspected Evan was unique in most regards. She doubted she'd find another man like him in Atlantis even if she talked to everyone.

Evan seemed equal parts clever, funny and kind. And thoroughly gorgeous even though he looked like he'd been through hell recently.

She cocked head her at him. "As much as I'm enjoying your company, it looks like you could really use some sleep right about now."

"I look that bad, huh?"

"No. Well, yes. Maybe a little."

"I've had trouble sleeping the last few nights," he admitted.

And there was that glimpse of vulnerability again. "Maybe you should talk to Dr Heightmeyer," she ventured delicately, well aware that men were rarely happy being sent to shrinks.

"Already done that. It's mandatory after a – after an incident."

"Oh. What about some sleeping pills from the infirmary?"

He shook his head. "Can't really risk it in case I'm needed during the night. I just have to run on little sleep until my mind clears. It's fine."

Olivia wanted to chide him for not looking after himself properly but she didn't feel like she knew him well enough to lecture him about getting enough sleep. Instead, she gave him a sympathetic smile and said, "If my opinion counts for anything, I think you did your job to the best of your ability. No one can ask any more of you."

"Yeah, that's pretty much what Doc Heightmeyer said. Shame it doesn't feel that way to me yet."

"Perhaps you should go for a long run? Try to wear yourself out like you did the other night?"

"Now that's actually a good idea," Evan said brightly. "I've been too preoccupied to bother taking one the last few days."

Olivia watched as he got to his feet and stretched his arms above his head with a groan. "I hope you start to feel better soon," she said croakily, pointedly avoiding glancing at the strip of smooth, white skin that was briefly exposed when his shirt rode up.

He dropped his arms and Olivia stopped holding her breath "I will. It's not the first time I've been through this and unfortunately it probably won't be the last. Thanks for listening, though. I feel more relaxed already."

"Well, you obviously know where to find me if you ever need to talk again. I don't mind."

"You sure I wouldn't be tainting the sanctity of the reading room, Doc?"

"Olivia," she reminded him lightly. "And I'm sure I could live with you interrupting me every so often. God knows my day job involves enough reading anyway."

"In that case I'll consider it my duty to come and distract you regularly."

"I look forward to it."

"Night, Olivia."

"Sleep well, Evan."


	3. Green belt

A/N: Thanks to everyone who read/reviewed. This chapter is set just before 'Aurora'.

* * *

"I just can't remember the last time I felt grass under my feet. I'm feeling really claustrophobic, guys."

"But going off-world is dangerous!" Sophie insisted.

Olivia rolled her eyes impatiently. "I went off-world a few times while I was at the SGC and nothing happened. Besides, back when I did fieldwork I spent time with Amazonian tribes and Maasai warriors. I think I can handle the Pegasus locals well enough."

"You're really determined, aren't you?" Emma asked with a resigned sigh. "If you're serious then you have to go to Colonel Sheppard first. You can't go anywhere until he clears you for off-world travel. That's as much of the process as I know."

Olivia pursed her lips. So much for that. She had been hoping that Emma was going to say she had to see Evan about it. That would have made things a lot easier. She still hadn't had a reason to speak to Colonel Sheppard yet. It was going to be a little trickier to get off-world than she had first hoped, but Emma had been right about one thing – she was really determined.

Sophie pouted. "We've been standing here talking for ten minutes. Can we please go to lunch now?"

"Ok. I'm satisfied for now. Let's go." Olivia put an apologetic arm around her friend's shoulders and led her out into the hall. "Sophie, you worked through breakfast again, didn't you?"

"And dinner last night," Emma piped up.

"Sophie!"

The Frenchwoman lowered her eyes sheepishly. "I am close to a breakthrough this time. Definitely close!"

"You said that the last time you spent twelve straight hours in the lab," Emma pointed out gently.

One thing Olivia didn't envy was the pressure her peers on Atlantis faced daily. Particularly, the astrophysicists and the medical team seemed to carry a heavy burden. Their work directly influenced the expedition and they were constantly called in to come up with solutions to problems on the spot. For the most part, the geologists and botanists and the others were doing work that would have more of an impact for life back on Earth in the future.

On the other hand, Olivia's research probably wasn't going to directly affect anyone back on Earth. She was chronicling the lives of a long extinct race that most people didn't even know had existed. Her work might at least benefit someone on the Atlantis expedition one day. That was reason enough not to abandon it.

"Listen, Soph, if you don't start taking proper breaks I'll tell Dr Beckett to take you off the retrovirus project," Emma threatened.

"Don't, please! I'll be good."

"Fine, but you're not allowed back in the lab for the rest of the day. After lunch you need to go and get some fresh air or something."

Olivia smiled wryly as they entered the mess hall and queued up for some food. She hated being stuck in her lab. Thankfully, she didn't always need to be there to get her work done. Most of the time, she just needed her laptop and her tablet and she could work anywhere. Sadly, even that level of freedom was no longer enough for her.

She grabbed a random sandwich and an apple and went to wait at an empty table for the other two. It was mostly Evan's fault that she had become restless. They'd worked up a nice little companionship since he had assured her his intentions were honourable two weeks ago. The last few times they'd met he had regaled her with stories of his off-world missions. It made her almost green with envy.

To punish him a little, she had bored him with stories of her life back on Atlantis. Two scientists from the zoology department were arguing over the naming rights to a rodent found on M3X-937. Someone had accidentally thrown out an important specimen the biologists were studying. Dr Zelenka said something indecipherable in Czech.

It was the same old thing every day. Sullenly, Olivia unwrapped her sandwich as Emma and Sophie joined her. Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Colonel Sheppard and Evan enter the mess and head straight over to grab sandwiches of their own. They settled together at a table, Evan with his back to her.

"That must be some sort of sign," Olivia said, watching the two men intently.

"What?" Emma asked, whipping her head around to follow her gaze. "Sheppard and Lorne?"

"Exactly. I need to talk to the colonel and in he walks."

"Seriously? You're going to ask him now?"

"Why not? I'll let him finish eating obviously, then I'll go over there. That's got to be easier than trying to track him down later," Olivia reasoned.

"I suppose," Emma agreed, but she still looked more than a little dubious.

Olivia knew this was her best chance. She'd be less nervous with Evan there. He might be a little perturbed that she hadn't mentioned her off-world aspirations to him first, but he'd get over it eventually. She was gradually becoming accustomed to his moods and pet peeves and she was sure he would be supportive in the end.

"How do I look?" she asked, nudging Sophie in the ribs.

Sophie just nudged her back and kept eating ravenously. Emma narrowed her eyes from across the table. "Who cares about that? Are you planning to ask him out on a date as well?"

"No. I just don't want to look like a crazy scientist," Olivia explained quickly. She began to run her fingers through her ponytail, wincing as she pulled at more than a few knots. "I want to look like I'm capable of going off-world without wandering off and getting kidnapped. He probably hates it when that happens."

"You look fine. You're working yourself up now. Just take a deep breath and calm down or he actually will think you're crazy."

Olivia took that suggestion on board. She idly brushed crumbs off her uniform and willed herself to remember that she'd been in tougher situations before. All she had to do was go and talk to a man. She'd certainly done that before.

"I think they're finished," Sophie said around a mouthful of bread.

Olivia peered around Emma's head and saw that Colonel Sheppard and Evan now appeared to be having an animated discussion. "Okay, I'm going over there. You can have my sandwich, Soph. I'll see you both later and let you know what happens."

Both women wished her luck and went back to their lunches. Olivia steeled herself and made her way across the hall. She approached the table and found the pair having a heated debate about some sort of flight manoeuvre. Sheppard was demonstrating with the salt and pepper shakers and Evan was shaking his head adamantly. Neither of them noticed her sidle up to the table.

She cleared her throat. "Gentlemen? Sorry to interrupt."

Colonel Sheppard looked up at her with a pair of rather lovely hazel eyes and, for a moment, she was startled. Was it some sort of pre-requisite that all Air Force personnel had to be ridiculously good looking before getting into the Stargate Program?

"Can we help you, Dr Meyers?" Evan prompted.

Olivia tried to ignore the amusement evident in his voice. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him so she ploughed on. "I was hoping to have a moment of your time, Colonel."

"Okay, you have that moment," he drawled.

"I'm Dr Olivia Meyers," she began. "I arrived on the Daedalus a month ago."

"Well, since you already appear to know who I am, I'll just welcome you to Atlantis, Dr Olivia Meyers. What can I do for you today?"

"I've been told that I have to come to you in order to be cleared for off-world missions. I want to know how I go about doing this."

"Off-world?" Evan echoed. "You sure about that, Doc?"

"Absolutely sure, Major," she replied, fixing him with a penetrating gaze that dared him to interrupt again at his own peril.

Colonel Sheppard either didn't catch the little exchange or he chose to ignore it. "Okay, here's the deal; before I send you out with one of my teams I need to know you can look after yourself to some extent. We're not as rigorous as the SGC is, but you can't just show up and go where ever you want.

"When a woman asks to be allowed off-world I always refer them to Teyla first. You know who I'm talking about, right. Once a week she runs a self-defence class for all the women in the city. Attend a few of her sessions and she'll let me know when you're ready. Simple?"

That would take weeks! It wasn't like she had an unlimited amount of time on Atlantis. Olivia's heart began to pound. "With all due respect, Colonel, I'd rather not wait that long."

Sheppard did nothing except raise his eyebrows at her. For a second she thought she had crossed the line. Then he gave her a lop-sided smile. "And why shouldn't you follow the same process as everyone else, Doc?"

"Because I already know how to defend myself. I passed the weapons training back at the SGC. I also have a green belt in karate and some Krav Maga I picked up during a stay in Israel."

Sheppard's mouth fell open a little and she didn't need to look at Evan to know that he was doing something similar. Olivia waited expectantly and eventually Sheppard leant back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. He gave his 2IC an indecipherable look across the table then turned to her again. He looked her up and down slowly.

"Colonel?"

"Look, it's not that I don't believe you're an action hero, Dr Meyers, but I have to make sure you're not all talk."

"Then I'll show you. Just name the time and place."

"How about 0700 tomorrow in the gym?"

Olivia fought to keep her expression neutral while she jumped for joy internally. "That will be fine. Thank you, Colonel." She turned to Evan and nodded crisply. "Major Lorne."

He returned the nod and she spun on her heel and made straight for the exit. She had to resist the urge to run the whole way back to her office. Part of her hadn't quite expected to pull that off. Now she had to get a lot of work done before she got stuck spending the night trying to remember her karate training.

Olivia may have overstated her skills a little. She wasn't good with guns and had only barely passed the minimum weapons training required at the SGC. While she still technically possessed a green belt, it had been five years since she did any martial arts. And the Krav Maga had been over a decade ago so she was pretty sure she would remember none of that at all. Still, she was going to get to go off-world sooner rather than later, so it would all be worth it.

Olivia made it back to her lab and put on her serious face. There was a lot of work for her to do on Atlantis before she started gallivanting all over the galaxy. She dropped into her desk chair and began tapping away at her laptop.

Why did early dialects of Ancient have to be so difficult? The linguists were already getting sick of her showing up all the time. But how else was she supposed to put together a comprehensive history of the Ancients if she couldn't go right back to the beginning of their civilisation.

A knock at the door halted her frustrated tapping. She had a feeling she knew who it was before she turned her head. Sure enough, Evan was leaning casually against her doorframe, hands stuffed in his pockets.

It was rare that she saw him in uniform so she allowed herself a moment to surreptitiously look him over. She couldn't help but wonder if he knew how sexy he looked with a gun strapped to his thigh. Probably not, or he'd wear one all the time.

She quickly took that image and mentally scrunched it up into a tiny ball and buried it deep in her sub-conscious, where it would eventually resurface in a thoroughly inappropriate dream.

"One quick question. Do you even _know_ where the gym is?"

Olivia shot him a withering glare. "I have a map, don't I?"

Grinning, he pushed away from the door and entered her lab. His eyes wandered everywhere, taking in the haphazard stacks of books strewn around and the numerous dirty coffee mugs. Unfortunately, she had never been a terribly neat person and being on Atlantis hadn't served to mature her in that regard. Still, it was organised chaos and she liked her system.

"I'm trying to work here," she said crisply. "Do you mind?"

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Evan asked, planting himself on the corner of her desk. She scooted her chair back a little to put some distance between the two of them. "Seriously, Olivia, I know I make it sound glamorous, but going off-world is usually just boring. And sometimes it's even dangerous. Why would you want that?"

"I'm used to boredom and danger in the field. Remember, I started out studying indigenous tribes before I moved to ethnohistory. As fascinating as the Ancients are, I miss being among different cultures. This project I'm doing," she said, pointing at her laptop, "is a huge migraine. If I don't take a break somehow I'm worried I'll burn out."

Evan absorbed all this, his brow creasing thoughtfully. "I can take you to visit the Athosians some time."

"That'd be nice. But only a momentary distraction." Olivia slid back a little closer and looked pleadingly up at him. "Evan, please trust me, I need to do this."

"Fine," he muttered. "But it's not up to me, remember. You have to impress Sheppard tomorrow or you won't be going anywhere. Do you really have a green belt?"

Olivia threw up her hands in exasperation. "Yes! Why does no one ever believe me?"

"Relax. It's just a little surprising. I'm sure you're very accomplished."

"Damn right," she said. "You and your boss won't have to worry about me holding my own off-world."

"Don't go getting cocky already," Evan warned her tersely. "Your little karate display is going to be meaningless against a Wraith."

"I'm not planning to go anywhere near the Wraith!"

"You can't know that for sure."

Olivia shivered involuntarily. The Wraith seriously creeped her out. More so than the Goa'uld or this new Ori threat. The Wraith seemed like every possible nightmare rolled into one.

"Stop trying to scare me, Evan. I won't be talked out of this."

"I'm just trying to remind you of the realities around here. No one ever knows what they're going to encounter when they step through the Gate."

"That's the part I like."

Evan shook his head and slid off the desk. "Damn adrenaline junkie."

She smirked ruefully. "Takes one to know one, flyboy."

"That may be so," he conceded, "but I've had years of specialised training. _You_ took some night classes at the local rec centre."

Olivia just crossed her arms huffily. "If you're done teasing me, I'd like to get some work done now."

"Don't worry, I'm leaving. Just don't spend all night practicing at the gym, okay. You'll need to be sharp in the morning."

"Yes, boss."

He waved a finger in her face. "Don't be smart. I'm going off-world at 0600 so I won't be there to see the show, but whatever you do, don't let Sheppard fool you with his usual disinterest. This is serious and he won't cut you any slack."

"I don't want him to," she replied firmly.

"Good." Evan made to leave then hesitated momentarily. "Just out of curiosity, why didn't you talk to me about this before going to Sheppard?"

Olivia had been expecting this, but it still stung a little that he seemed genuinely disappointed. "It'd just be a repeat of Dr Jackson and the IOA. I knew you would offer to help me somehow and I want to get off-world on my own merits, not because I have a relationship with the military XO."

"Relationship?"

"As random acquaintances," she clarified quickly. "I didn't want you to go out of your way for me. I've always been capable of doing things on my own."

"That may be so, but it doesn't hurt to ask for help every once in a while."

"I will next time," she promised.

"All right. I'll come and visit you tomorrow night to find out how it went."

"Okay. Be safe tomorrow, Evan."

"Always."

He left and Olivia rolled back over to her desk. She seized her laptop and began working with renewed vigour.

* * *

The following morning came all too quickly for Olivia. By the time she nervously jogged up to the gym, she felt utterly unprepared. She had spent almost two hours at the gym the previous night, which had only served to remind her how unfit she was. If she was going to keep up off-world she was definitely going to need to start hitting the gym regularly.

Like she really had room for that in her schedule.

Olivia paused outside the gym door to catch her breath. No point showing up looking as if she had just run a marathon. She heard movement inside and glanced at her watch. Seven on the dot. Sheppard was probably already in there.

Well, no use stalling any longer. She took a swig from her water bottle and walked in casually. Sure enough, the colonel was in the far corner hitting a punching bag with sharp little jabs. He didn't turn when she entered so she cleared her throat loudly.

Sheppard stopped mid-punch and looked back over his shoulder. "Morning, Doc. Ready to get this over and done with?"

"Absolutely."

He ripped off his gloves and threw them against the wall. "Have you warmed up enough?"

Olivia nodded as she set her bottle aside and stepped onto the mat with him. She had stretched in her quarters then jogged the whole way, bypassing the transporter in favour of the stairs. Her leg muscles were already protesting at the exertion, not to mention every other muscle in her body still ached from her workout the previous evening.

"All right. This isn't a sparring session, Doc. I'm not going to actually hit you or try to take you down. I'll just go through the motions and you try to deflect. Simple?"

It _sounded_ simple. "Yep."

"Try to hit me if you think you can," Sheppard said, stepping towards her and adopting a relaxed fighting stance. "Just do me a favour and keep it above the belt, okay. I'd consider that a really bad start to my day."

Olivia was too nervous to find his comment embarrassing or amusing. She just nodded and mirrored his stance. She raised her guard like she remembered and gave him a nod. He came at her straight away and she was nowhere near fast enough. His fist stopped an inch from her right eye.

Sheppard frowned and stepped back. "Your hands need to be higher. Open up your stance a little, too. You sure you've really got that green belt, Doc?"

"Yes," she replied through gritted teeth.

And he came at her again and again. The corrections kept coming, too. She was putting too much weight on her front foot, her guard kept dropping and she was too stationary.

Every time he stopped to instruct her she felt her chances slip away till she was sure she wouldn't ever be given clearance. Oddly, it was this grim resignation that finally allowed her to loosen up enough to get into a good rhythm. It became easier and easier to deflect his attacks till eventually she was avoiding most of them.

Olivia even began to enjoy herself. She remembered why she liked karate in the first place. She'd started only out of necessity. Most of the time she travelled alone when studying indigenous tribes so she needed to learn how to defend herself without weapons. The discipline and raw power of karate had proved to be quite an intoxicating mix so she had kept up with it for a few years.

The colonel had finally broken a sweat. He moved to strike at her again and she deflected his forearm with her own as she'd done before. This time, however, she turned defence into attack by seizing his bicep swiftly and pulling him forward. He obviously hadn't expected that she would actually try to hit him. Surprised and unbalanced, he dropped his guard enough to let her through. Olivia's left elbow stopped inches from the side of his head.

He blinked down at her and Olivia allowed herself an indulgent little smirk. She probably could have followed through with her elbow. At the very least, it would have felt good to strike a blow for every woman out there who had ever been underestimated. It just seemed a shame to unnecessarily bruise such a nice face, so she released his arm and stepped back.

"Well all right then," Colonel Sheppard finally said.

Olivia retrieved her water and went to sit on the nearby bench. Her muscles felt like they were going to start cramping and that was the last thing she needed to happen in front of Sheppard. He rubbed a hand through his hair, making it stand up even more than usual, then joined her on the bench.

"Well? What's the verdict, Colonel?"

"That works for me. You're cleared to go off-world as of now, Dr Meyers. Congratulations."

Olivia sighed gratefully. "Thank you. I can't wait to see this galaxy. It sounds fascinating."

Sheppard just shrugged, clearly not one for overstating things. "I guess it's nice enough when the Wraith aren't around. What kind of doctor are you anyway?"

"Anthropologist. Ancient cultures mostly."

"Sounds interesting," he said politely.

The look he shot her clearly said the opposite and she decided not to bore him with the details. Instead, she asked, "So what happens now? Do you pick a team for me?"

"Yeah. Well, Major Lorne does actually. I just agree with whatever he comes up with. I'm not one for administrative things like that. Better for everyone involved if I leave it up to him."

Olivia brightened up at this news. "Okay. Major Lorne finds me a team, then what?"

"He and I meet with Dr Weir once a fortnight to go through the assignments for the next two weeks and pick a team for each one. Again I just sit there and nod mostly," he admitted freely. "Those two know what they're doing without me sticking my nose in."

"That sounds straight forward enough. Thank you again, Colonel," Olivia said, hoping he would take that as a hint to leave. She wanted to take a shower before breakfast but wasn't sure if she could trust her own legs not to buckle yet.

"You're welcome, Doc, but don't pack your bags just yet. You're gonna have a bit of a wait ahead of you. There's always a lot of people wanting to go off-world." Sheppard said.

Olivia's shoulders slumped a little at this news. "I thought you had been receiving more and more military personnel on the Daedalus."

"There's also plenty of civilians coming across with them," he pointed out. "It's a little better now but we're still way outnumbered. Plus, there are currently only six teams without a permanent civilian attachment already. You have to wait your turn to get on one of those."

"Damn it," Olivia said softly, letting her head fall back against the wall. Her visions of stepping through the Gate in a week's time had just been dashed.

Sheppard nodded as if echoing her sentiments. "Sorry, but that's the way things are at the moment. And don't hassle Lorne about it cause he really hates it when people do that. You'll just end up making him grumpy and I'll have to put up with him brooding and stomping around the place."

"Okay," Olivia said, hiding a small smile.

"Don't bother trying to bribe him either. That only makes him extra grumpy. He'll be unbearable for days."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Colonel."

"Good." Sheppard finally stood up and looked like he was getting ready to leave. He regarded her steadily for a moment. "Look, you could have learnt from Bruce Lee himself, and you still wouldn't have gotten my clearance right now. Normally I don't approve people to go off-world till they've been here for more than just a few weeks.

"The main reason you're getting to go off-world this quickly is because Lorne vouched for you. He assures me you're not going to go and do anything stupid to put any of our men and women in danger. I know that's always his first priority so I'm taking him at his word. Don't make him look stupid."

"I won't," she promised.

"Glad to hear that. And since you're obviously a little rusty, I still think you could use a few lessons with Teyla. Then if you're going to be making regular trips I'd be happier if you had some more weapons training under your belt, too. Lorne or I can easily organise that whenever it suits you."

"Fine by me, Colonel Sheppard."

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Dr Meyers." He gave her a lazy little salute then turned and left, humming what sounded like a Johnny Cash song.

Olivia hoisted herself slowly off the bench, wincing as her calves burned alarmingly. Oh yeah. Definitely time for regular gym sessions. Now she had the added incentive of making sure Evan kept his standing with his CO intact.

Evan had gone above and beyond by talking to Sheppard about her. She hadn't asked him to do it but without his assurance, she wouldn't be going anywhere at all. The least she could do was thank him.

Olivia gave her legs a little shake and finally felt up to making it back to her quarters. On the way to breakfast, she would drop by the Gateroom to find out when Evan and his team were due back. Just so she could thank him personally, of course. Not so she could bug him about getting assigned to an off-world team.

Not at all.


	4. Pink socks

A/N: Hello again. Thanks for reading. This chapter takes place on the same day as the previous one. So it's at the beginning of 'Aurora'. And we get a bit of Olivia's back story. Enjoy! Reviews are always welcome!

* * *

Olivia peered around the corner and squinted up at the conference room. The doors were still closed. Had been for the past fifteen minutes.

How long was an Atlantis mission debrief supposed to take anyway?

Evan and his team had returned through the Gate and proceeded straight to the conference room with Dr Weir. Every minute or so, Olivia would duck around to see if they had finished. Fifteen minutes later and she was getting bored and frustrated. Her growling stomach let her know that it was also lunchtime.

She should either be working or eating. Not stalking poor Evan. The colonel's words from earlier still rang in her ears. For some reason Evan had decided to smooth the way for her by assuring Sheppard that she was safe to take off-world. Despite the fact that Evan actually had no firsthand knowledge of this.

It was a small risk on his part, but one that Olivia appreciated all the same.

Olivia decided she would have just one last look then head to the mess hall. She moved to look around the corner again and somehow ended up walking right into Evan. They would have clashed heads if it weren't for his TAC vest, which she bounced right off.

"Careful," Evan said, catching her arm quickly to stop her falling backwards.

"Ow!" Olivia clutched at her chest where she had collided with his P90. "Damn it. That's a dumb place to keep a gun."

"You're not meant to walk into it," he replied dryly and released his grip on her arm. "What are you doing lurking around corners anyway?"

"I'm not lurking. I came to see how your assignment went today. Aren't I allowed to come and welcome you back to Atlantis?"

Evan shrugged and started walking down the corridor. Olivia hurried to catch up and fell into step beside him. "You can if you want," he said, "but you're gonna send the rumour mills into overdrive. Just so you know."

"I don't really care about the Atlantis rumour mills."

They proceeded down the corridor and turned right. Olivia was practically jogging to keep up with his brisk strides. She glanced sideways at him and noticed his general dishevelment and slight scowl. "So. What's with the mood today?" she asked carefully.

He huffed and looked as if he wasn't going to answer. Then he eventually said, "I just spent five hours conducting trade negotiations with a race of people who make the Amish look adventurous. Their idea of a conference room is a table set up in the middle of a barn full of animals."

"Oh."

"And all so we can get regular supply of a hideous little domesticated bird they farm."

Olivia smiled. "Let me guess, tastes like chicken?"

"Duck, actually. They look like a cross between a rat and an owl though. And somehow they smell worse than they look. After standing knee deep in them all morning I'm pretty sure I'm going to smell like one for the rest of the week."

"I was _wondering_ what that smell was…"

Evan rubbed his hands over his eyes tiredly. "Thank you for that. Now that we're back, I'm really just looking forward to a shower and some lunch. Speaking of lunch, shouldn't you be in the mess hall right about now?"

"I already ate," she lied, willing her stomach to stay quiet for a while longer.

"Okay. So are you planning to just follow me around all day then?" he asked, a slight hint of his usual wry amusement returning. "You're welcome to join me in the armoury, infirmary and mess hall, but the shower's probably going to be a bit of a tight squeeze."

Olivia opened her mouth then slowly closed it again. There was no safe reply to that so she just relegated the image to her growing file of inappropriate thoughts and changed topics. "Actually, I have news that might cheer you up. The colonel cleared me for off-world travel this morning."

"Congratulations. I knew it wouldn't be a problem for you."

"Thanks. He also explained that I now have to wait for you to assign me to a team."

Evan stopped walking abruptly and turned on her. "Oh no. No, no."

"It's not like that," she said quickly and raised her hands in a placatory gesture.

"Not you too, Olivia. Seriously, I can't handle it from you too."

"I'm not doing anything! Sheppard explained that there might be a bit of a wait and that's fine. I'm not hassling you about it."

Evan eyed her suspiciously. "Then you'd be the only civilian on this base who doesn't hassle me about getting off-world. All I can do is be fair about it and rotate everyone accordingly."

"Sounds like the fairest system," Olivia said diplomatically. "I'd just like to know more about the process. Nothing sinister."

"Why am I not convinced?" He sighed and closed his eyes briefly. "I'm probably going to regret this, but I'll explain it all to you if that's what you want. I'll meet you at my office in an hour. Do you know where it is?"

"Sure." Truthfully, Olivia had no idea he even had an office, but it seemed better to just ask someone else. She was hopeless with remembering directions and Evan was already in a cranky mood.

"Good. I'll see you there."

They went their separate ways. Olivia headed straight for the mess hall to grab something to eat. She ate quickly, conscious that Evan would be showing up to have his own lunch soon. To kill more time, she went to visit with Emma and Sophie to catch them up on her morning session with Colonel Sheppard.

"You almost elbowed him in the head?" Emma demanded. "Why would you think that'd be a good way to get off-world?"

"It's not like I went there planning to do it! I learnt it so long ago that I didn't know I'd still be able to pull off the move, but it all happened quickly."

"That's simple muscle memory," Sophie said from amidst a mountain of open books. "Once you got into a rhythm your body remembered what to do. I can still perform gymnastics moves I learnt as a teenager."

Olivia could barely see the top of her friend's blonde head. She exchanged an exasperated look with Emma. "I think we should move some of these books. You might not survive if there's an avalanche."

"Oh, please don't lose my place in any of them. I'm so close to a breakthrough!" Sophie insisted once again.

Olivia glanced down at the book on the top of the pile she had just moved. The virology text was Greek to her. Not for the first time, she found herself wishing that her own work had more of an impact. If Sophie and the medical team were able to pull off this Wraith retrovirus, it would completely change the galaxy.

"How close are you to testing on a live specimen?" Olivia asked, a sudden thought hitting her.

"Quite close."

"But that means a live Wraith will have to be brought to Atlantis, right?"

Sophie nodded, looking unfazed. "Correct. It is the only way to fully test the retrovirus."

"You aren't worried about being near a Wraith? About having one in Atlantis?"

"Wraith attacked the city before you got here," Emma pointed out. "If Sophie's work can stop that from happening again then the risk posed by having one Wraith in the city will be outweighed by the benefits."

Olivia frowned and chose to leave the conversation there. She was beginning to wonder if she was the only one on Atlantis who was truly scared of the Wraith. Evan had mentioned his few encounters with them as if it had been no big deal. Now Emma and Sophie were being ludicrously blasé about the prospect of being in a room with one.

Emma suddenly snapped her fingers at Olivia. "I almost forgot to tell you! I spoke to some of the female Marines this morning and there's another girls' poker night planned for next month. You have to come with me."

"Poker night?" Olivia raised her eyebrows doubtfully. "I don't even know how to play poker, Em."

"That doesn't matter. It's more about drinking and gossiping anyway."

"It's also very rowdy," Sophie added disapprovingly. "The first one I went to gave me a headache for a week. It was awful."

Emma rolled her eyes at Olivia. "It's not that bad. No worse than a night out in a London pub. Sophie refuses to go again, so I need a new drinking buddy."

"It sounds like fun," Olivia admitted. "Count me in."

"Great!" Emma slapped her on the shoulder. "It's going to be even more fun with all the new personnel who've arrived recently."

"I'm looking forward to it. I'll ask you more about it later, but for now I should let you guys get back to work."

"Okay. We'll see you at dinner."

Olivia hesitated before leaving. She forced a casual smile. "Say, do either of you happen to know where Major Lorne's office is?"

* * *

Evan was ten minutes late. Olivia crossed her arms and slumped back against the wall. She had checked with a passer-by to make sure she was in the right place in case Emma and Sophie had been wrong. She was in fact right outside the office that Evan shared with Colonel Sheppard.

The reality that she had now wasted the majority of her day waiting around for Evan was not lost on her. Her work had been untouched for most of the day. The guilt associated with that was creeping in at the edges of her mind.

She'd arrived early to begin with and had been standing there waiting for almost twenty minutes now. People were starting to give her odd looks. At least everyone would assume she was just another civilian hassling the major to get sent off-world. Except that she wasn't going to do that. Not now that Evan appeared to have had such a bad day. The last thing she wanted to do was cause him any more stress.

Evan appeared around the corner, looking slightly perturbed. "Sorry, Doc. I got called back to the Gateroom."

"It's fine. Is everything all right?"

Olivia stepped aside and Evan waved his hand over the access panel. "Sheppard and his team are leaving to go and check out an Ancient warship that the city's sensors picked up."

Olivia gasped as she followed him into the office. "An Ancient ship? I'd love to get a look at that."

"You and me both."

"And you're pissed that Sheppard got that assignment and you got stuck doing trade negotiations."

"You're perceptive today."

Olivia was hoping he'd be in a better mood, but apparently he wasn't. "Well, I guess that's one of the perks of being the CO. Sheppard gets all the good missions."

The office they'd entered was neat and austere. No laptops, personal items, books or paperwork piles to be seen. The complete opposite to most of the science labs on the base. The focal point of the room was a large whiteboard that hung behind one of the desks. Very low-tech. A typical military set-up if she ever saw one.

There were two identical desks positioned opposite each other. Evan approached the one in front of the whiteboard and pushed the chair aside roughly. "Yeah, well now I'm the one who has to get the requisition forms ready for the weekly transmission to the SGC. Convenient, right?"

Olivia grimaced. When they met up at night, it was easy to forget he was second in command. But of course, the reality was he was a busy man. "Oh. Should I come back later?"

Evan's face softened. The little frown line between his eyes disappeared and he beckoned her over. "Sorry, Doc. Olivia," he amended quickly. "I'm in Major Lorne mode at the moment. You can stay. After all, I did make a point yesterday of encouraging you to ask for help."

"That you did," Olivia agreed. She walked over to join him and watched as he sat down on the desk, facing the large whiteboard.

"I won't bite," he said, patting the desk.

Olivia accepted the invitation and joined him so they were sitting shoulder to shoulder. "For the record, I like Evan a lot more than Major Lorne."

"So do I. Most of the time. It's just been a long day."

Olivia nodded sympathetically. At least he looked a little refreshed. He was wearing a crisp new uniform and his hair was slightly damp. She could smell his soap and shampoo sitting this close to him. It took all of her willpower not to turn and run her fingers through his tousled hair.

Instead, she nudged him with her shoulder and said, "On the plus side, you don't smell like a farmyard anymore."

Evan turned to her with a dimpled grin. "I should have known you'd find a silver lining for me."

Olivia smiled back. They really were sitting awfully close. Normally they were on opposite sides of the room. Now just inches away, he was overloading her senses and making her feel a little heady. She wanted to slide back but that would be an acknowledgment that something was sparking between them. Something that neither of them was supposed to want.

"Right," Evan said, his voice low and husky. He nodded towards the whiteboard. "This is it. This board has all the current teams on it and their assignments for the next two weeks are on the top half. Bottom half is the unconfirmed teams for the two weeks following that."

Olivia blinked rapidly and tried to pay attention. "Okay. Sure."

"Sheppard and I will meet with Dr Weir in a few days and we'll lock in the assignments for the rest of the month. Then I'll start all over again and go through the list of civilians and start putting them with teams and wait on the assignments to come through."

Olivia's eyes roamed the board, recognising the names of some of the scientists. Some had letters in brackets after their name. She knew the Air Force had a fondness for acronyms and she had learnt a fair few, but she didn't recognise any on the board. "Why do most of the scientists have other letters next to their names?"

"It's just shorthand between Colonel Sheppard and I," Evan said, shifting a little uncomfortably.

"Evan…"

"Look, there's a lot more civilians in the city now. It gets confusing. Particularly for Sheppard. He's better with faces than names. It helps to give people harmless little designations."

"All right, what does WD stand for?"

"Walking Disaster."

Olivia narrowed her eyes. "And POW?"

"Piece Of Work."

Olivia shook her head in amazement. She wasn't sure whether to be insulted or impressed. It worked both ways though. She knew from talking to her colleagues that the civilian side was just as useless at keeping track of who was who on the military side.

"And what would you put next to my name?" she asked curtly.

Evan gave her a guilty little smile. "I wouldn't do it to you, Olivia."

"Humour me then."

"Probably KIA."

"Do I even want to know?"

"Know It All."

Olivia actually laughed. "Oh, thanks. Jeez, you two sure know how to make a girl feel special."

"Hey, I said I wouldn't put anything next to your name. Just don't tell anyone else I told you about our little codes, okay. It's in everyone's best interest that we keep this system."

"How do you figure that?"

"Well, certain teams are better paired with certain scientists. If we forget who's who, bad things might happen. Some teams can't handle a WD and others don't have the patience for KIAs."

"And what's your preference?"

"I'm a consummate professional," he replied. "I have the utmost respect for every civilian in Atlantis."

Olivia smirked. "Clearly."

"Yeah, well maybe if I wasn't hassled every day I'd be a little nicer."

"Speaking of hassling," Olivia said carefully, not wanting to ruin the current mood. "Do you think I'll be on the board next month?"

Evan cocked his head thoughtfully. "I think I can tweak a few things and get you on there."

"I wasn't suggesting you go out of your way for me."

"It's not a big deal," he insisted.

"But you've already done enough to help me get off-world."

"I have?"

"Sheppard said that you vouched for me. You guaranteed that I wasn't going to be any trouble."

"Oh, that," Evan said nonchalantly. "Well, he started interrogating me about how exactly you and I knew each other. I told him we worked at the SGC together."

"You lied to your CO?"

"Not really. We did technically both work at the SGC for a few months before I got sent to Atlantis. I just omitted the fact that we never actually met back then."

"You lied by omission then."

Evan sighed wearily. "If you insist. But Sheppard thought we were…you know. I had to come up with something to get him to drop it."

Olivia swivelled her body to face him, folding one of her legs up onto the desk. "I really appreciate what you did."

Evan shrugged, keeping his eyes trained on the whiteboard. "I know Sheppard prefers it when civilians get properly settled into Atlantis before wandering around the galaxy. He wasn't going to clear you since you've only been here a few weeks. So, I pushed things along a little for you. Not a big deal."

"It was above and beyond what someone would do for a random acquaintance. Seems to me you'd only put your reputation on the line to help a friend."

"A friend," he repeated. "Hmm. I think you may have a point there."

"So, Major, do we officially have ourselves a friendship here?"

"Sure. Seems like the next logical step I guess." He turned to look her in the eye and again Olivia was disconcerted by their closeness. "As long as the next one isn't friends with benefits."

Olivia swallowed hard. "Of course not."

"Yeah, of course not."

Olivia didn't move. She hardly dared to breathe. Evan's eyes were assessing her and she was trying desperately not to let her façade slip. She wondered suddenly if friendship with Evan would even be possible. She'd seen enough romantic comedies in her life to know that the odds were against them.

Evan slid off the desk abruptly, leaving Olivia blinking in surprise. He stepped up to the board and grabbed a marker. He tapped it against his chin as he scanned all the names along the bottom half.

"What are you doing?"

"Gotta fix this thing. It'll only take a second."

"Evan," she warned, her voice low and tense.

"Quiet while I think."

Olivia bit her lip to stop herself saying anything further. She watched as he used his finger to rub out the name Kavanagh (FPOW) and write in the name Meyers. "That's much better," he proclaimed.

"You can't do that!"

"I believe I just did."

Evan rejoined her on the desk and she just stared at him, a little stupefied. She knew Kavanagh by reputation only. Apparently, he had only just returned to the expedition and he didn't seem like the kind of person who would appreciate being overlooked.

"Isn't he going to be angry at you?"

"Oh yeah."

"But Evan-"

He shook his head firmly and held up a hand. "You let me deal with Kavanagh. You just worry about getting ready to go off-world in two weeks. I've put you with Stackhouse. He'll keep you safe, but he won't coddle you."

"Hang on, I don't want you ending up with any more stress because of me."

"Olivia, you're single-handedly responsible for decreasing my stress levels. The time we spend together has helped me a lot. Even when you just sit there and listen, I end up feeling a thousand times better by the time I return to my quarters."

A proud warmth spread through Olivia's body. "I'm glad I can help you. I don't really expect anything in return though."

"Look, a little quid pro quo never hurt anyone. Except maybe Kavanagh in this case, but I couldn't care less about him. As long as you're happy, I'm happy."

"I'm very happy, Evan. Thank you."

Olivia almost hugged him, but thought better of it at the last second. That'd be tempting fate. She didn't want to add any fuel to the fire that was smouldering in her belly. His hand was planted on the desk between them so Olivia settled for putting her own hand over the top of his. But even that turned out to be far too intimate.

Evan glanced down in surprise. He turned his hand over so that her smaller one fitted snugly into his palm. "Wait, do friends hold hands?"

"Sure. It's a very platonic thing to do," Olivia said, a little unconvincingly. Images of what those capable hands could do to her flooded her mind and she took a few extra breaths.

"Your hands are really soft," he commented.

He closed his fingers around hers and stroked her skin in tiny circles. It was suddenly warm in the room and the air felt really thick. Stupid. Why had she thought she could touch his hand in the first place?

Olivia opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by a knock from the doorway. Their hands snapped apart at the same time. Olivia froze. They'd become lost in their own little world and had forgotten that the office door had been open the entire time.

"Damn it," Evan muttered under his breath. He peered around her head to see who had interrupted. "Lieutenant?"

"Sorry, sir. I didn't realise you were in here with someone."

Olivia turned to see a young man in uniform standing at attention in the doorway. She recognised him as Lt Reed from Evan's team. He was fighting hard to subdue a smirk that was tugging at the corners of his mouth.

In the blink of an eye, Evan was back in Major Lorne mode. He jumped off the desk and crossed the room, leaving Olivia feeling a little bereft.

"What's the problem, Lieutenant?"

"I just came to collect the new roster for security detail. I can come back later. I didn't mean to interrupt anything."

The lieutenant's eyes were flicking back and forth between Evan and Olivia. She was certain that from his vantage point he hadn't been able to see their entwined hands, but it still must have looked odd to find his team leader sitting on his desk beside a random woman.

"You weren't interrupting anything," Evan said sharply. "This is Dr Meyers. She's going off-world soon for the first time since arriving here. I'm showing her the ropes."

"Of course, sir. Nice to meet you, ma'am," he said, turning and giving Olivia a small nod.

"Likewise, Lieutenant." Olivia slid off the table and rubbed her hands together enthusiastically. "Well, thank you again, Major Lorne. You've been very helpful."

"Anytime, Doctor," Evan replied stiffly. "If you have any other questions let me know."

"I will."

Olivia gave both men a parting smile then ducked quickly out of the room. In the corridor, she paused briefly to look down at her hand. It was shaking slightly.

She couldn't remember the last time a man made her heart race like that.

* * *

There was a storm coming. Distant lightning lit up the horizon, making the water glow briefly. A strong wind was racing around the city. Olivia stood in the midst of it, captivated by the howling noise the wind made as it whirled around the many towers and sculpted spires.

Her hair was whipping around her head in a curly frenzy. The icy sting of the wind made her cheeks turn pink and she wrapped her arms around herself to preserve a little body heat. She'd come out on the balcony just to get some fresh air and had been standing there for nearly five minutes.

Olivia had considered not going to the reading room. After the awkwardness of Evan's office, she thought she had better be more aware of her personal space in future. She couldn't even touch his hand without immediately thinking about sex. There was no way she could let herself get that close to him again.

In the end, she had remembered how sincere he had seemed when he told her how much he appreciated their late-night talks. So, she had taken her dog-eared copy of Great Expectations to the room and settled in to read. If he showed up, then he showed up. She wasn't going to be the one to deny him his new outlet.

Thunder rumbled across the sky, adding to the cacophony of the wind. There was a smell of rain in the air.

"Have you lost your mind?"

Olivia looked over her shoulder and gave Evan a wild little smile. "Can't you hear that? That's the wind rushing through the city. Doesn't it sound eerie? Almost like a wild animal howling."

"Yeah, you have lost it." He took her firmly by the shoulders and steered her back inside. "You're going to get swept off the balcony. Or struck by lightning."

"You don't like storms?"

"Not particularly."

Olivia rubbed her hands vigorously over her face to get a little feeling back in her cheeks. "When I was a kid I'd sit by the kitchen window and watch storms pass over my house. I used to count the seconds between the lightning and the thunder. Didn't you ever do that as a kid?"

Evan gave her a dubious sideways glance as they walked back down the corridor towards their room. "The more I get to know you, the stranger I think you are."

"Shut up. It's not strange to like storms."

"It's strange to stand out in the middle of one though. You have to admit that."

Olivia shrugged and entered the room first. She went straight to her usual armchair. "I just went to get some fresh air. Been in here for a few hours already."

"Yeah, I would have come earlier but I only just got off duty. Managed to get the damn requisitions processed though."

Evan kicked off his shoes and flopped down noisily on the long couch across from her. He lay on his back along the length of it, hands joined underneath his head.

"Tired?" Olivia asked.

"A little. It's been a long one."

"Tell me about it." Olivia winced as she kicked off her own shoes and sat crossed legged. Her muscles had begun to ache now that she had been sitting still. It felt like a lifetime ago that she had met up with Sheppard in the gym. Her body quickly reminded her that it had only been that morning.

"You should have a proper stretch before you go to bed," Even said without looking at her.

Olivia shook her head in disbelief. She still had no idea how he managed to do that. He had been staring at the ceiling the whole time yet he somehow noticed that her underused muscles were giving her trouble. "Yeah? Well it looks like you should be in bed right now. What are you doing here? Other than bossing me around, I mean."

"Even though I'm tired I don't think I'll be able to sleep yet."

"What's wrong?"

Olivia recognised the slight frown and the narrowing of Evan's eyes. He was rearranging his thoughts before he answered. She waited patiently and tried not to get too anxious. He finally turned on his side to look at her, propping himself up on his elbow.

"First of all, I don't want you to get the wrong idea. I wasn't snooping. I had to do it."

Olivia's heart sank. It didn't sound good. "Had to do what? What are you talking about, Evan?"

"I had to go into your personnel record to add in your new travel clearance."

"And?"

"And I read your file. Not on purpose or anything. If you don't want to tell me things that's fine."

Oh. Definitely not good.

"Neither of us has talked about personal things," Olivia pointed out. "I figured that was how things were going to be between us."

Evan nodded in agreement. "I know it goes both ways. I haven't exactly been an open book. But we're friends now, right?"

He had her there. No point trying to be evasive since he clearly already knew about her past. She didn't know precisely what her file said, but she could guess at the salient points. There were chapters of her life that she had happily left behind and now Evan wanted to dredge them up to satisfy his own curiosity.

Olivia chose not to say anything. She simply made a hand gesture that suggested he should go on.

"You got your degree from Yale, huh."

"Yes. But I hardly think that's what's keeping you awake."

"You're an only child. Born and raised in Connecticut."

Olivia mentally braced herself for what she knew was coming. "Are you going to recount my entire life story back to me?"

Evan gave her an apologetic look then got to the point. "You've been married twice."

"Yes. And divorced twice," she added helpfully.

"I guess I was a little surprised. But if you don't want to talk about it that's fine. I won't pry."

Olivia surveyed his face. His blue eyes were wide and earnest. He was obviously interested, but she knew he wouldn't bring it up ever again if she made a point of telling him to back off.

"It's fine. Believe me, being only thirty-two and already having two divorces under your belt sets you up for a lot of questions when people find out."

"Don't worry. There aren't any real details in the file. Just the dates of the marriages and divorces."

"I was pretty young and dumb the first time around. Only twenty-one. Then at twenty-seven I was older but still pretty dumb it turns out."

"So the first marriage didn't work out because you were both too young?"

"_I_ was too young." A distracting blush crept up Olivia's neck. She didn't normally get embarrassed when talking about her first husband. But right now she was dreading Evan's reaction.

"You married an older man," he guessed.

"Sixteen years older."

Evan let out a surprised laugh then spotted her scowl. "Sorry. But sixteen years! Right. Sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that. Sixteen years, really?"

"You did better than most people. I usually get a disgusted look. But it wasn't like that. He was only thirty-eight. Much older than me, but not really an old man. The age gap never made much of a difference to me."

"So is that what you're into? Older men?"

"Not particularly. Gerard just happened to be older than me."

Evan laughed again. "Seriously? Gerard?"

"Yes, Gerard. He was an English professor at Yale."

"Jesus! You married your teacher? Olivia!"

"He wasn't my teacher," she said hastily, a full-blown blush now making her face burn. "I didn't take English. I used to sneak into his classes just to listen to him talk. We didn't get married till after I had graduated and it only lasted a year."

"Wow. It turns out you're full of surprises, Dr Meyers."

Olivia smiled a little proudly. "Well, at least no one can ever say I've led a boring life."

"So what brought on the divorce if it wasn't the huge age gap?"

"I idealised him too much. I was too young to know any better. When we dated he would quote Chaucer or Shakespeare in bed and I would swoon like an idiot."

Evan's eyebrows shot up. "That's your idea of foreplay?"

"Not anymore! I told you, I was too young to know any better. But of course, the romance didn't last through the marriage. I eventually realised he was just a man. Not the suave, Renaissance hero I had my heart set on. I lost interest pretty quickly after that. I ended up kind of breaking his heart by filing for divorce."

"Ah."

"Yeah. He didn't really see it coming. I felt bad about it for ages, but I eventually forgave myself. I happen to know that he's happily married now, " Olivia added.

Even let out a long breath and rolled onto his back again. Olivia was glad not to have his eyes boring a hole through her anymore. He stared up at the ceiling, hands folded on his stomach.

"Thanks for telling me all of that. I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to talk about it."

"That's all you're getting tonight. Disastrous marriage number two can wait for another time."

"Wait, let me guess. Uh, husband number two was much younger than you? His name was Antonio and he was an Italian poet. Am I close?"

Olivia grunted and stood up. "All right. Since you're just going to be annoying now, I'm going to bed."

"A heroic lion tamer named Frederick? He couldn't tear himself away from the circus life for you?"

Olivia collected her book and resisted the urge to throw it across the room at him. "I'm glad you're finding this funny. I won't tell you anything personal ever again if you keep it up."

"Sorry."

"No you're not," she said airily and made for the door.

"Your shoes," Evan said, his eyes still focused on the ceiling.

Olivia looked down at her pink socks then back over at her forgotten shoes. "Stop doing that!"

"It's called peripheral vision, Olivia."

She slid back over and pulled on her shoes. "You better get your own ass to bed before you end up falling asleep right there."

"Whatever you say, Doc."

Olivia thought about dragging him with her but when she looked up from tying her laces, his eyes were already closed. She noticed the serene smile on his face and knew that she wouldn't wake him up for all the money in the world.


	5. Event horizon

A/N: Thanks once more for reading/reviewing! I have a surprise for you with this chapter. Not only is it the longest one thus far, it's also told entirely from Lorne's POV. It's my favourite chapter so far. It takes place during 'The Lost Boys'. Hope you enjoy it. Reviews make me smile!

* * *

Evan liked Atlantis best in the early morning. The weak light filtering through the windows made everything look rich and hazy. If he ever got around to painting the city, he would do it at sunrise. The colours of the Lantean sun were slightly different to Earth's. He couldn't be sure if anyone else noticed it, but he had spotted the subtle difference right away.

McKay could probably give him a boring scientific reason for the colour difference, but Evan didn't particularly care. All he knew was he was looking forward to trying to paint it one day.

If he ever had the downtime, that is. That prospect wasn't looking good at the moment.

Everything had somehow gone to shit. Sheppard and his team were missing. Had been for ten days now. Dr Weir was pressuring him to bring them back even though no one knew exactly where they were yet. He'd be more than happy to launch a rescue mission when the time came, but until then, everyone just had to be patient.

Easier said than done evidently. Evan hadn't had five minutes to himself for the last couple of days. He was either taking his own team off-world or sending another to one of the planets on Dr Zelenka's list.

After a particularly restless night, Evan decided he had to stop thinking for a while and just go for a long run. So, at 0500 he was up and out of his quarters. Most of the city was still sleeping. He preferred it quiet and empty like this. He could concentrate on clearing his head.

Evan set off on his regular circuit. A while ago, he'd found a pleasant loop that didn't require any transporters and only had a few stairs. It took him forty minutes to complete, usually enough time to allow him to work up a good burn.

It wasn't long before the familiar cadence of his strides began to drum away the tension. He'd tried to stretch out properly before leaving, but his muscles had felt tight to the point of snapping. Since Sheppard had officially been designated MIA, Evan had been a coiled spring. Ready to gear up at any moment in case word came in. And Dr Weir wasn't helping matters any. Not that he could really blame her, but she wasn't making his job any easier by demanding results right away.

But deep down Evan knew it wasn't just Sheppard's absence and Weir's anxiety that were the source of his frustration. He hadn't spoken to Olivia in four days. He'd hardly seen her at all in fact. The last time he'd been near her was when Dr Weir had called her and a few other scientists to the conference room. They were all scheduled to go off-world that week but their assignments were no longer simple recon and exploration.

Now it was constant search and rescue missions. Evan hadn't liked the idea of sending civilians out, but Weir had reasoned that they needed boots on the ground and that it didn't really matter who went. The more eyes out there the better.

Perhaps it had been the idea of Olivia going off-world that really unsettled him. Before the current situation had unfolded, he'd managed to get her an easy assignment to a safe ally planet. Now she was accompanying Stackhouse's team to a world the expedition hadn't visited before. The MALP readings had been favourable, but it was still an unknown entity.

Evan slowed his pace a little. His heart was pounding more than it should be. Olivia was still excited to be going off-world despite the change in focus. That much he could tell from her body language during the meeting with Weir. He had tried to catch her afterwards to apologise for not being able to talk to her himself, but Weir had called him into her office.

He may have been struggling, but Olivia didn't appear to be adversely effected by their recent estrangement. Last night at dinner, he had spotted her across the mess hall. He was usually able to spot her quickly in the crowd and he always found her eating with other civilians. Last night, however, she had been eating alone with Corporal Billick from Stackhouse's team.

The sight had been jarring at first. Then a little surprising. Then rather annoying. Of course, he couldn't very well do anything about it. They were going off-world together the next morning so it made sense that they would be getting to know each other. It was just a little odd that no one else was at the table with them. It looked far too intimate for Evan's liking.

Swearing under his breath, Evan resumed jogging. He was getting worked up over nothing. His heart was still pounding. He knew he had no real claim to Olivia, but the idea of someone else being with her was worrying. At the very least, their late night talks would have to end if she started dating someone on Atlantis.

Worst part was, she had noticed him staring daggers across the room. They had made eye contact briefly and she had obviously been puzzled by the animosity she was met with. Her brow had creased questioningly and she'd tilted her head slightly. Evan had looked away suddenly, horrified at his behaviour.

He was thirty-five years old and an accomplished officer in the US Air Force. Right now, he was responsible for a base of over two hundred people. He was supposed to be keeping everyone safe, not spending all day and night contemplating how one woman was managing to aggravate him so much.

The running route took him by the mess hall, where he always paused to get some water. This morning, surprisingly, it wasn't deserted. It was too early for breakfast to be served but a lone figure sat in the corner of the room nursing a mug. She looked up when he entered.

Evan retrieved a bottle of water from one of the large fridges in the makeshift kitchen then made his way over. "Morning, Dr Weir."

"Good morning, Major. Fancy the two of us both being awake at this hour."

Evan quickly took in her crumpled uniform and the dark circles under her eyes. "It doesn't look like you slept at all, ma'am."

She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "That's a good way to crush a woman's self esteem."

"No, I was just saying-"

"It's fine," she cut in quickly. "You're right, I didn't get much sleep. I stayed up till the Deadalus finally came within subspace range. Colonel Caldwell is going to pick up the pace, but he's still a few days out."

"We'll keep searching till he arrives," Evan promised. "Then the Daedalus can join in and things will get easier."

"Colonel Caldwell is going to want to take over coordinating the search once he arrives. I don't like that idea. I feel like we're making good progress on our own."

"It's technically a military operation," he reminded her lightly. "And I certainly can't stop him taking command. But I can brief him when he arrives if you'd rather not."

They both knew Caldwell would demand to speak to Weir anyway, but Evan thought he had to at least offer. Weir acknowledged the sentiment with a grateful nod. "It's all right, Major, I can handle the colonel when he arrives. I would, however, like to ask a favour of you."

"Sure."

"I'm going to need to catch up on some sleep today. I'd appreciate it if you could oversee general operations for the time being."

"Not a problem, ma'am."

"Thank you." Weir stood up and yawned extravagantly. "I'm going to leave my radio in my office, but I want you to come wake me if there are any developments. No matter what it is."

Evan stepped aside to let her pass. "Of course. Don't worry, I can handle things for a while."

"I know you can handle it. My job on top of your own is a lot to take on though." She waggled a finger in his face knowingly. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you didn't get a lot of sleep either, Major."

Evan forced a smile and hoped that it appeared genuine. "It's fine, ma'am. Really. I'm happy to do it."

"Well, you're taking tomorrow morning off then. No arguments."

"All right."

"Good." Dr Weir paused briefly to grasp his forearm. "I mean it. Any developments."

Evan nodded and could only hope that he did end up having a reason to wake her.

* * *

By 0900, Evan had already interceded in three civilian arguments. Several people had apparently decided to put themselves forward to fill the role of Chief Scientist for the expedition. Regardless of the fact that Dr McKay had not been declared dead yet.

"I came here from an important government job!"

"Well I have _three_ degrees."

"Dr McKay himself has always said I was the second smartest in the department!"

"That's so not true!"

Evan slammed his hand down on the table to restore order to the conference room. "Enough! What is wrong with you people? McKay and the others are missing and you're worried about who gets his job?"

"This expedition is a failure if the science departments aren't getting results. Someone needs to fill the void. And that someone should be me," one of the men said.

"No way!" a female scientist interrupted.

"All of you listen to me carefully," Evan said, his voice a low growl. "I'm not Dr Weir. I'm not a diplomat, okay. I don't mediate conflicts. I shoot people."

To emphasise his point he unclipped his M9 and placed it on the table. Five sets of eyes widened. "See? Now, if you insist on continuing we're going to do things my way."

"Point taken. We'll wait until Dr Weir comes back," one of them said eventually.

"No. None of you are to bother Dr Weir with this. What you'll do is go back to work and forget about who will take Dr McKay's place because he's going to be back soon and he won't be happy to find someone's usurped his throne."

"But what if he doesn't come back?"

"Then someone a lot higher up the chain will send a replacement from Earth," Evan replied bluntly. "If we're all done here then I'd like to get back to trying to find your boss."

One by one, they all stood up begrudgingly. The doors swung open and they exited, muttering to each other. Stackhouse and his team were waiting outside the room. Their briefing was next on Evan's huge list of things to do.

"Everything all right, Major?" Stackhouse asked, eying the sidearm in the middle of the table.

"Fine," Evan snapped. He retrieved the gun quickly and holstered it again.

Billick snorted. "He was going to shoot those civvies."

"I was not."

Olivia emerged from behind Stackhouse looking way too cheerful. "Yeah, he'd never do that," she said. "Deep down he really likes all of us. I can tell."

"All right, sit down and listen up," Evan said briskly, trying not to make eye contact with her. He didn't need any of these guys noticing they were already well-acquainted. "We don't have much intel on this planet so this will be a quick and easy briefing."

Olivia moved towards the seat to Evan's immediate right. Billick came up beside her and pulled the chair out for her. Evan pretended not to notice and cleared his throat loudly.

"Your objective is recon and your destination is M4J-857. It's a planet we've yet to visit, but the MALP readings all came back clear. The Athosians have only traded with them occasionally. There are four small settlements scattered within walking distance of the Gate. Sergeant, you received the rundown from Halling?"

Stackhouse patted his pocket. "Yes, sir. The way I figure it, we split into pairs and start visiting the villages one by one."

Evan nodded. "You've got six hours before you have to come back. Ask about any recent Gate activity; take a good look around. You guys know the drill. I'm expecting you to check in every two hours but if you feel like something isn't right, contact Atlantis straight away. I have a team on standby in case we get lucky."

"How can we really tell whether Sheppard and his people are being held there?" Olivia asked. She had started to drum her fingers nervously on the table.

"We can't," Private Sherman answered from across the table.

"He's right," Evan said. "You won't know for sure. That's why it's most important to keep your eyes open and not take anything at face value. Ask the right questions and you'll get the right answers."

"I don't really know what any of that means," Olivia said, looking a little flustered.

"Body language is the best indicator," Stackhouse explained. "Watch the person you're talking to carefully. If they keep looking away or fidgeting then there's a good chance they're hiding something."

Olivia looked sceptical. "I don't know if I'm any good at that."

"Tell you what," Billick piped up. "You can do all the talking, Doc, and I'll do the watching for the both of us."

"I like the sound of that," she said, brightening considerably.

"Yes. Great plan," Evan said, fighting to keep the exasperation out of his voice.

Olivia always seemed to be able to read him like a book. He wasn't sure why she was suddenly nervous when she had always maintained that she was good with people.

Evan stood and nodded to his men. "All right, move out, guys. We dial in fifteen so get to the armoury and grab your gear."

The three men stood in unison and left the room. Once the doors had shut behind them, Evan got up and took a seat across the table from Olivia. "So what's got you so nervous all of a sudden?" he asked.

"I'm not nervous."

"You wanna try answering that one more time?" He looked pointedly at her fingers, which were still beating a brusque staccato on the tabletop.

She hastily folded her hands in her lap. "What if I miss something and we lose the chance to find Sheppard and his team?"

"No one's infallible, Olivia. You're sharp and you notice important little things. If I didn't think you were capable of handling this directive then you wouldn't be here right now. That being said, if you aren't up to this then I need to know right now so I can switch you out."

"No, I'm okay," she said quickly and squared her shoulders determinedly. "I think I just needed a little reassurance."

"You're going to do fine."

"Thanks, Evan."

"Just stay out of trouble, okay. I'll be really unhappy if I have to come out there to rescue your sorry ass."

Olivia just smiled obligingly. Evan leant back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. The tension in his body was already beginning to dissipate. A few minutes alone in her company and his entire demeanour was changing.

This was getting ridiculous.

"Felt weird not seeing you for so many days," Olivia said. "Are you all right?"

"Of course."

She laughed and shook her head, sending her curls bouncing alluringly. "I only asked out of courtesy. I can tell you're not all right. The stress is radiating off you in waves. Give yourself a break for once."

"I will when this is all over. Right now I'm handling the pressure just fine."

"Handling the pressure?" Olivia repeated dubiously. "Pulling a gun on a bunch of civilians is handling the pressure?"

Evan lunged forward with a finger extended across the table. "Hey, I didn't point it at anyone. I just wanted them to remember I had it."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. But if you can't deal with a few mouthy scientists without pulling your weapon then I think you might be in over your head here, Evan. Maybe you're the one who needs to be switched out."

He laughed darkly. "Right. Like anyone else around here is going to be able to do what I do. Right now, I'm even doing Weir's job. Not to mention covering for Sheppard too for the last ten days. You think someone else can single-handedly do the jobs of three senior Atlantis personnel?"

"Well, I'm not sure about anyone else, but it sure doesn't feel like you're coping right now."

Evan got to his feet swiftly and planted his hands firmly on the table between them. "I'm actually coping pretty well considering less than a year ago I was back at the SCG and all I had to worry about was the three other men in my team. I was so far down the chain of command that most of the higher-ups couldn't even remember my name."

"And all of a sudden you're sent to another galaxy where you're expected to be XO to a man whose command style consists largely of flying by the seat of his pants. No one would begrudge you if you weren't up to it."

"Oh, I'm up to it, don't you worry about that! I'll find Sheppard's team and bring them back in one piece. All while Weir and Caldwell pull me in different directions and fight over control of the search and…"

Evan's rant petered out slowly as he realised what was going on. His chest was heaving a little and his hands had clenched into fists at some point. Olivia was smiling smugly at him.

"Yeah. All right," he huffed, straightening awkwardly. "Really clever, Meyers."

"Mmm. I thought so."

"Just so we're clear, I would have seen all that coming a mile away if I wasn't so tired."

"I know that. So do you feel any better now?" she asked.

He did. He suddenly felt energised. The many burdens he faced had become challenges, ones that he was determined to overcome. He was good at all of this, he relished pressure. That was one of the things that drew him to the Air Force in the first place. He could and would keep Sheppard's seat warm till he got back.

"Your little reverse psychology trick certainly got me worked up," he admitted.

"Command suits you."

Evan shook his head. "Not really my thing. I'll do it as long as I'm needed but I'll gladly hand things back over to Sheppard when he returns. I'm even counting down the minutes till Weir shows up."

Olivia stood up and moved around the table to stand beside him. "Well I happen to think you're doing a good job. You just need to cut yourself some slack. As you said, you're new to all this. It's normal to feel a little overwhelmed sometimes."

It was like a switch had been flipped. Evan's limbs felt heavy and limp. His body was no longer taut and strained and the knot in between his shoulder blades had disappeared. There was still the small knot in his stomach that tightened whenever Olivia was nearby, but he was becoming accustomed to that. In all of ten minutes, she had dispelled days of accumulated stress.

"God. How do you do that?" he said under his breath.

"Do what?"

"Never mind. You better get down to the Gate. The team will be back soon."

"Yes, boss," she replied, snapping off a salute.

Evan smiled and shook his head. "Whatever you do, don't be a brat with Stackhouse. He's not as easygoing as I am. You have to respect his position and do whatever he says. He's the boss when you're in the field with him."

"Yeah, the corporal already warned me I have to be on my best behaviour."

"Good. You're dismissed."

Olivia stepped closer to him and regarded him seriously for a moment. "You know I really do respect your position, right. I may prefer spending time with you when you're off duty, but I think what you do around here is pretty amazing. Major Lorne," she added softly.

Somehow, that meant the world to Evan. He returned her gaze just as steadily. She was the definition of doe-eyed. She had lovely almond shaped brown eyes and long dark eyelashes. He knew those eyes were probably going to be his undoing some day. But in the mean time, he was having trouble reading exactly what she wanted so he kept still.

He could have quite easily taken half a step forward and been pressed up against her. Just the imagined contact was enough to make his body hum. But now wasn't the time. A strand of hair had escaped her ponytail and he settled for tucking it behind her ear gently.

"Be careful, Olivia. I mean it."

"I will," she replied, looking a little surprised at the intimate contact.

Evan grabbed her shoulders quickly and spun her towards the doors. "Go. Now." He gave her a little shove and she stumbled slightly as the doors spun open automatically.

Go before I do something stupid, he thought bitterly.

He gave her a head start of a minute or two before he left the room as well. The Gateroom was buzzing with activity, as it usually was when a team was departing. Evan stood at the top of the stairs and looked down at the Stargate. Olivia looked really small standing in front of it alone.

She caught him looking and gave him a reassuring smile. Evan turned away and fidgeted uneasily with the clip on his holster. He was supposed to be the one reassuring her right now.

Stackhouse, Billick and Sherman appeared from a side corridor. Sherman handed Olivia a backpack and she shrugged it on. Evan gestured for Stackhouse and Billick to join him at the top of the stairs.

"Ready, sir," Stackhouse said.

"Ready for anything," Billick added.

"Good. Stick close to the doc out there. She's feeling a little antsy."

"With all due respect, sir, I'm not even sure why I'm taking a newbie out on a mission like this."

"Because that's the way it is, Sergeant," Evan said firmly, leaving no room for argument. "But if you'd rather take a scientist with more off-world experience next time, I can arrange for you to have Kavanagh."

"No, no. This is great. I love newbies," Stackhouse said dryly.

"Besides not being anywhere near as annoying as Kavanagh, she's a lot easier on the eyes."

Evan looked down to where Sherman was helping Olivia adjust the straps of the backpack. He probably could have reprimanded Billick for that comment, but that would have been petty.

"Just keep her safe." Evan signalled to Chuck over at the control panel. "Dial it up."

"Speak to you in two hours," Stackhouse said and bounded down the stairs with Billick on his heels.

The Gate began to light up as each chevron engaged. Olivia was watching intently and bouncing on the balls of her feet between Sherman and Billick. Evan tried to hide a smile at her obvious excitement, but failed miserably. The familiar kawoosh echoed through the chamber and Stackhouse moved to take point with Billick. He gestured for Sherman to take their six, leaving Olivia sandwiched in the middle.

The group approached the Gate. Evan turned his back at the last second, unable to watch Olivia disappear through the event horizon.

* * *

Dr Weir returned to the Gateroom five and a half hours later. She looked refreshed and seemed more than ready to end the present ordeal. The timing of her reappearance made Evan a lot happier. He spent about twenty minutes in Weir's office filling her in on everything that had been happening.

Stackhouse had reported nothing substantial during his scheduled check-ins. M4J-857 didn't seem to get many visitors through the Gate at all. A second team had also left to assess one of the other planets on the list and were due to report back soon.

In the meantime, Evan had already sent the MALP out to two other planets. Zelenka and his team were currently sifting through the data, but it looked like only one of the worlds was viable at this early stage.

Overall, Weir was pleased enough with the progress he'd made. Still, Evan had wished he'd had better news.

As soon as she dismissed him, he hurried out of the Gateroom. Stackhouse was due to return at any minute and Evan didn't want to be there if he could avoid it. Being there to see Olivia return wasn't necessary now Weir was back to handle the debrief. He'd just be hovering anxiously for no good reason.

Evan made his way to the makeshift standby room he'd set up in one of the nearby corridors. When he entered everyone jumped to attention even though he'd told them days ago not to bother doing that. At this point, he was sure they were just doing it to annoy him

"At ease," he said quickly.

Coughlin and Reed were there playing cards with Cadman and Cole. Reed stayed standing and asked, "We on, sir?"

Evan shook his head. "Stackhouse came up with zilch. Haven't heard from Donovan yet. So you may still get to see some action today, Lieutenant."

"Hope so," Reed said, dropping back into his chair. "I need to get out of here. Cadman has already won a month's pay off me."

"I'm always happy to relieve you of your hard earned money, Reed," Cadman said, tossing him a wink.

"Well, it's not fair. No one told me you were such a card shark."

"Yes we did," Coughlin said.

"Several times," Evan added. "You chose not to believe us."

"Then you've learnt an important lesson today, Reed," Cadman said. "Never underestimate a woman. Or a Marine. Not unless you wanna get your ass handed to you again."

Evan was happy to sink into the camaraderie and banter for a while. He much preferred just being another one of the grunts. Command was too isolating. People got too guarded around you and suddenly you were on the outside looking in.

"Everything okay, boss?" Coughlin asked casually.

Coughlin and Reed had been part of Evan's team since the SCG. They knew him better than just about anyone in the galaxy. He should have known at least one of them would pick up on his anxiety.

Evan folded his arms and took a seat on one of the nearby tables. "Too many days without any news. If they've been taken hostage then some sort of demand would have been made by now."

"Doesn't necessarily mean they're dead," Cole pointed out.

"But the longer they're missing the worse their chances get."

"They might not even be in immediate danger. They could just be stuck somewhere with no Gate access."

"If that's the case then I reckon they'll be back any day now. McKay's pretty resourceful when his life is on the line."

Evan smiled gratefully at Cadman. "That's the sort of optimism I like to hear, Lieutenant."

"Any time, sir," she said, returning the smile brightly. "Shall I deal you in this round?"

Evan jumped off the table and clapped his hand on Cadman's shoulder. "Not right now. I skipped lunch so I'm off to grab some chow before someone decides to throw another crisis my way."

He said his goodbyes and made his way to the mess hall. It was all but empty. A few scattered people looked up as he entered, but thankfully no one made a move to bother him. He filled a tray and went to sit in the far corner facing the door.

Even though Evan hadn't eaten since breakfast, he still had little to no appetite. It was an affliction that had followed him through from childhood. If he was upset for any reason, he couldn't eat. All he could do now was force enough down to keep up his energy levels.

He glanced at his watch. Olivia should be finishing up her debrief right about now. He was looking forward to talking to Stackhouse and Billick to find out how she had handled herself out there. Not that he was worried she wouldn't cope. He'd meant what he'd said to Sheppard about her being ready to go off-world.

Olivia certainly seemed able to take care of herself. That was one of the things he liked about her. He wasn't looking for a damsel in distress type. The stories she told of living among remote tribes had intrigued him. No one walked away from an experience like that without learning a thing or two about self-preservation.

Still, there was that ridiculous masculine urge to protect her from everyone and everything. Evan had picked up on enough of her personality to know that she wouldn't appreciate him hanging around her all the time like some sort of bodyguard. That's why he'd avoided being in the Gateroom when she returned. He had to show that he wasn't worried about sending her off-world.

Evan was picking at his limp looking salad when Olivia entered the mess hall. She all but skipped over to his table and sat down across from him.

"You're a hard man to find, Major."

"That's kinda the point, Doc."

Olivia tutted and nodded towards his tray. "Eating lunch at three in the afternoon?"

"I know. I don't need a lecture either."

"Wasn't planning on giving you one. You're a grown man. If you wanna drop dead from malnourishment that's your prerogative."

Evan chose to ignore that last comment. "So, you made it back in one piece, I see."

"Yep." A grin lit up her face immediately. "It was amazing! The people were so nice. A lot more primitive than what I was used to in the Milky Way. They had no technology whatsoever."

Evan nodded and pushed his tray aside, giving up on eating anything else. "That happens around here. The Wraith cullings tend to keep most civilisations from developing too far."

Olivia dropped her eyes and her smile at the same time. "I don't think they'll survive another culling, Evan. There's only about nine hundred of them split between the four villages. Apparently their planet's in prime position for the Wraith to pick them off again."

"Did you tell Dr Weir all of this?"

"Yeah. She said she'd send another team back later to try to help the people out. Maybe relocate them or teach them to defend themselves better."

"Relocation takes time and even with our advanced weapons it's almost impossible to stop a culling."

"So you're saying we shouldn't even try?" she asked, her voice rising slightly.

Evan almost reached across the table to take her hand, only remembering at the last minute that they were in public. "I'm not saying that at all. I'm just trying to get you accustomed to the way things are in Pegasus. We're so out numbered by the Wraith and so many people need our help that it's a sad reality that we can't get to everyone."

"How do you live with that though?"

"It's hard, Olivia, I won't lie to you. Everyone finds their own way."

She sighed mournfully and brought her elbows up onto the table. She cupped her face in her hands. "I know I'm not going to be able to forget those people. They deserve a chance to thrive."

Evan could tell she was going to be haunted by this for a while if he didn't step in. "Tell you what, I'll personally keep an eye on 857. I'll make sure someone gets sent back ASAP and I'll follow up on all of our options. We'll do whatever we can for your new friends, okay."

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Well, it _is_ my job," he reminded her. "I'll just make sure that particular planet becomes a priority. No big deal."

"You say that all the time and it always is a big deal. I'm beginning to feel like I'm taking advantage of you. It's not like you're getting anything out of this friendship."

"I get plenty out of it."

Olivia dropped her gaze to the table, but not before Evan thought he saw a flicker of recognition behind her eyes. She seemed to know that he was trying to say something significant about their relationship. By the time she looked up at him again, her game face was back on and Evan was unable to work out what she wanted him to do. Take things a step further or back off?

He did nothing and she spoke first. "Can I have your muffin?" she asked softly, nodding towards his tray.

"Sure." He slid the blueberry muffin across the table and she caught it. "All that adventuring make you hungry?"

She shrugged and pulled off a chunk. "A little. That MRE thing the boys made me eat off-world was awful. You should really do something about those."

"I'll mention it to the Secretary of the Air Force next time we meet for coffee."

She chewed slowly, her brow furrowing slightly. Once she had swallowed, she pushed the muffin aside, apparently no longer interested in it. "Evan, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course."

He was sure he knew what was coming. It was sooner than he had expected, but it was bound to come up eventually.

"Do you have a problem with me talking to Corporal Billick?"

"No," he replied evenly.

"It sure seemed like you had a problem with it last night."

Evan wasn't sure how best to answer. It had been way too long since he'd had a relationship with a woman, platonic or otherwise. It seemed pointless to pretend he was fine with it, but at the same time, admitting he was a little jealous could be taken the wrong way.

"He's a really nice guy," Olivia said.

"I know that," Evan replied with an exasperated little sigh. It would be so much easier if Billick was an asshole. Then Evan's reaction would have been at least somewhat justified.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I was being selfish. If you start dating Billick then our private time together is going to have to stop. As nice as he is, he's hardly going to want you having late night meetings with another man."

Olivia chuckled and shook her head. "Since when am I dating Billick? We ate a meal at the same table. Kinda like what we're doing right now. Are we dating?"

"No."

"Exactly and you already know where I stand on this issue. And now Ryan knows too."

Evan raised his eyebrows. "Really? What did _Ryan_ have to say when you told him you weren't going to have a relationship with anyone here?"

"Nothing. He's fine with whatever. In fact, he's a little like you. I get the feeling he just likes having someone non-military to talk to about stuff."

Great. The last thing Evan needed was to picture Olivia sitting in an isolated, darkened room talking to Billick. That was their special thing.

"Keep it up and you're gonna have to start charging all of us. And you'll never get any work done."

"Work," Olivia groaned. "Thanks for reminding me."

Evan smiled and gestured towards the exit. "Off you go, little lab-rat. You've had your fun for the day, back to the doldrums now."

"Stop it. You're depressing me."

"Don't pout at me. I'm sending you back out with Stackhouse in two days. I'm sure you can survive till then."

"I get to go back out so soon?" she asked, her eyes lighting up straight away.

"Sure. You'll accompany Stackhouse's team off-world every couple of days. At least till we find Sheppard."

"We'll find them, Evan."

"I know we will. I just hope it's soon."

"Will I see you tonight?"

Evan smirked across at her. "What's wrong, Doc? Miss me?"

"Quite a bit, actually," she replied matter-of-factly. "On second thoughts, tonight might not be a good idea. You look like you could use an early night. I overheard Dr Weir telling Stackhouse that she's given you tomorrow morning off. If you get bored I'll be in my lab."

"I can't bother you while you're working."

Olivia stood up, shaking her head in mock annoyance. She pushed the muffin into his hand. "Eat it, please. And when are you going to learn that you're never a bother to me?"

"I've missed seeing you as well," he admitted.

"Then I'll see you tomorrow morning."

"Maybe."

Olivia just grinned and took her leave without saying anything else.

Evan's attempt to play it cool had obviously failed. He already knew how it was going to play out. He would try his best to distract himself in the morning. He'd try reading a book or watching a movie to pass the time till he could put his uniform back on.

Deep down he knew he'd end up at Olivia's lab eventually. He already spent every night he had off-duty with her in the reading room. There was no way he could stay away now.

He was so far gone it wasn't funny anymore.


	6. Royal flush

A/N: Thanks yet again! This chapter starts around the middle of 'The Hive'. Importantly, we get some of the back story I created for Lorne. I've also bumped up the rating to T due to adult discussions and swearing that occurs in this chapter and future ones. I don't think it's too confronting, but consider this your warning if you don't like swearing/sexual themes. Review please! It makes my day.

* * *

"Rodney!"

"No, no. Can't talk right now. Tongue's too fuzzy. Come back later."

"Listen to me, Rodney! I need you to tell me where Sheppard and the others are. Okay? Think hard."

Olivia grimaced as Dr McKay began to thrash around on the infirmary bed, tugging at the restraints around his wrists. Sweat was flying off him in every direction. She ducked back behind Evan and only peered tentatively around his shoulder once the thrashing had stopped.

"Enzyme," Dr McKay howled.

"For the last time," Evan said tersely, "I don't have any enzyme and I can't get you any. Where did Ford take Sheppard?"

"Sheppard? Who cares about him? I'm dying here!"

Evan pinched the bridge of his nose. "For God's sake."

"Threaten to shoot him," Olivia suggested. "That worked for you last time, right?"

"You're not helping."

"I'm not trying to help! I agreed to go for a run with you. I did not agree to sneak into the infirmary to interrogate Dr McKay."

"I need to know where Sheppard and the others are," Evan replied, the desperation in his voice making Olivia grasp his elbow reassuringly.

"We'll know soon. But right now McKay needs to get some rest and we need to leave before Dr Beckett gets back from lunch. He won't be happy to find you here."

Dr McKay slumped back on the bed, exhausted from his struggles and it became obvious they weren't going to get anything useful out of him. Evan finally relented. "Fine. Let's go. But I'm coming back later, Rodney, so sober the hell up already."

"I'm a hero," Dr McKay mumbled as his eyes began to drift shut. "Still can't get any damn respect around here."

And just like that, he was out. Olivia tugged at Evan's arm. "C'mon. I wanna get this damn run over and done with."

"Hold on. You asked what I wanted to do on my afternoon off. I said that I wanted to go for a long run then spend time with you. It was _your_ idea to combine the two."

"Seemed like a good idea yesterday," Olivia muttered. She dragged him out of the infirmary and into the corridor before the Scottish CMO returned from lunch and told them off. "And what exactly constitutes a long run for you? Because I have a feeling you and I are going to differ on that point."

Evan just grinned and started walking away. Olivia rolled her eyes and trotted after him. "Where are we going now?"

"To the mess to grab some bottles of water."

"Where are we going to run to?"

"Just follow me and try to keep up."

They made their way to the mess hall. The corridors were busier than usual. It was a scheduled rest day and most of the expedition members were taking a break. The city was awash with people scurrying from place to place in search of amusement.

"Rec room's only two corridors over. It's not too late for you to go watch the movie instead."

Olivia shook her head adamantly. "No, I gave you the choice today. Although, I don't quite see how running is more relaxing than watching a movie."

"It's been my favourite way to unwind since my Academy days. I guess I think of it as an escape."

"I prefer reading," Olivia said. "No sweating involved."

Evan slid through the crowd with his usual steady ease. He looked back over his shoulder to talk to her. "Come on, you read all day and night. I'm just attempting to broaden your horizons here. Besides, you'll need the extra training if you're going to keep going off-world."

"Why? Did Stackhouse tell you I wasn't keeping up?" Olivia demanded. She had been off-world with Stackhouse and his team three times already and she thought she was holding her own quite well so far.

"No," Evan admitted, "but he's a sucker for a pretty face, so I'm taking his assessment of you with a grain of salt."

"Don't be stupid. Stackhouse isn't a sucker for anything. I'm not even sure if he's noticed I'm a woman yet. If you insist on training me, can we do weapons instead?"

"I thought you didn't like guns."

"I like running less."

Evan stopped abruptly and she ran into his shoulder. He turned so they were standing nose to nose. "Keep it up and you're gonna learn what the Air Force does with whiners."

"Sorry, Major," she replied, not really listening properly as she ended up focussed on the tempting curve of his mouth.

"Good." He reached out and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Wait here and start stretching. I'll only be a minute."

"Okay," Olivia whispered.

Evan disappeared into the mess hall and she took a deep breath. This new thing he had with her hair was killing her. It wasn't a distinctly sexual gesture, but it seemed more than a little friendly. It caught her off-guard every time he did it and the slight contact always made her ear burn.

"Afternoon, ma'am."

Olivia's head whipped around. Lt Reed was standing there with his arm around a woman from the biology department. The look on his face suggested he had witnessed the entire exchange between her and Evan. Olivia willed herself to stop blushing like a schoolgirl.

"Afternoon, Lieutenant."

"Everything okay? You look a little flushed."

The young man's brown eyes were all but dancing with amusement. Olivia cleared her throat and stood up a little straighter. "I'm fine. You two better get moving. The movie's about to start."

The biologist started tugging at his hand, clearly not appreciating the delay. "Enjoy your run, ma'am," Reed managed to say before he was dragged away.

Olivia gave him a tight smile and began to stretch before Evan showed up again. She didn't need Reed getting involved. A few people had noticed her spending more and more time with Evan, but she had deflected every inquiry so far. They always kept it professional in public. Well, usually they did. When Evan wasn't playing with her hair in a busy corridor.

"You call that stretching?"

Olivia jumped as Evan's warm breath ghosted across the back of her neck. "This is how I stretch. Leave me alone."

"Trust me, you're gonna want to stretch properly."

"Why? Where are we going? Please give me some idea of what I'm in for."

Evan gave her a self-satisfied little smile. "Have you been out to the south pier yet?"

"The south pier that's all the way on the outskirts of the city?"

"There's only one south pier," he pointed out unnecessarily. "It should take us about thirty minutes each way. Maybe closer to forty five minutes," he amended as he watched her awkwardly try to touch her toes.

"Great." She reached out and put a hand on his shoulder to balance herself as she stood on one leg to stretch her quads. "Hey, do me a favour and tell that smirky young lieutenant of yours to stop calling me ma'am."

"Tell him yourself."

"Okay, I will. It makes me feel old. What is he, like, twenty-three?"

"Almost twenty-five," Evan replied, proceeding with his own stretches. "If you really want to feel old, try doing a PT session with him. Coughlin and I can barely keep up."

"There's someone on Atlantis fitter than you?" Olivia asked dubiously. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, fascinated by the way his shirt moved over obviously toned muscles.

Evan chuckled. "There are plenty of people. And Reed doesn't call you ma'am because you're older than him. It's a respect thing. He calls every female civilian ma'am to begin with. That's just how he is."

"Oh. I guess that's nice."

"Don't worry, once he gets to know you it'll be Doc or Olivia and then you'll be begging him to leave you alone."

Olivia smiled and took a bottle of water off him. "I'd like to get to know Reed and Coughlin. You always speak so highly of them."

"I wouldn't want anyone else watching my back," Evan agreed with his own smile. "Now, come on, let's get to the nearest transporter and get away from this crowd."

Olivia followed him down the corridor and into a transporter. He hit a seemingly random spot on the display and they walked out into a deserted atrium.

"This seems like a good enough place to start. Let's go."

And without any further preamble, Evan started jogging. Olivia quickly caught up and settled in beside him, finding the pace manageable for the moment. But it wasn't long before Evan started to pull ahead and after about twenty minutes, he was well ahead of her.

"Evan," she panted. "Slow down."

He turned around, jogging backwards with a grace that Olivia could only envy. "What are you doing all the way back there? We're barely halfway. Step it up, Meyers."

"I'm trying," she said through gritted teeth.

"You need me to sing cadence for you?" Evan asked, clearly amused by her lack of stamina.

"Please don't."

"You sure? I know some really dirty ones."

Olivia swiped at her sweaty forehead in frustration. "I'm sure! Just slow down a little. I'll be right behind you."

Evan shrugged and spun back around again. He did slow his pace minimally. Olivia tried to ignore the way her lungs were burning and her legs felt like lead weights. She hadn't seen Evan so relaxed in a long time. More to the point, he hadn't mentioned McKay or Sheppard in ages.

For the moment, he wasn't the military leader on Atlantis. He was just Evan and they were just taking a leisurely/excruciating run through the city. Olivia decided she could handle a little pain if it meant seeing Evan back to his old self. Besides, she had just found that if she kept within a few feet of him she had a spectacular view of his ass as he ran.

Perhaps with the right motivation she could begin to enjoy this running business as well.

* * *

It happened at breakfast two days later. Olivia was sitting a few tables over when Evan suddenly jumped to his feet and made for the exit, already barking orders into his radio. A few Marines jumped up as well and trailed after him.

"What do you think that's about?" Emma asked.

"Something to do with Sheppard, no doubt," Sophie replied. "I had to visit Carson this morning in the infirmary. Dr McKay looked much better."

Olivia pushed aside the remainder of her breakfast. She felt queasy knowing that Evan had likely just left to lead a daring rescue mission. If this was going to happen every time he went away then it was going to be a long ten months for her. She'd end up with a stomach ulcer from all the worrying.

"I hope they bring Sheppard and his team back," Dr Jessica Lindsay said from beside Olivia.

Jessica was another of the expedition's anthropologists. She'd come over on the Daedalus at the same time as Evan. She was nice enough. A little uptight, but she was good at her job, so Olivia respected her. Besides, she was fluent in Ancient which came in handy.

"I guess that means you got approval from Dr Weir to start going to M1K-177," Olivia said.

Jessica beamed proudly. "She found my proposal had merit. As soon as Colonel Sheppard comes back I get to go there once a week with Major Lorne's team."

"Lucky you," Emma commented with a surreptitious look in Olivia's direction. She pretended not to notice.

Jessica nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, I can hardly believe my own luck. I can't wait to start working with the people of 177. There's so much I can teach them."

Emma shot her a surprised look. "Actually, I meant that you're lucky to be going with Lorne's team. Plenty of women around here would kill for a chance to be escorted by those three."

"I suppose so. I've heard they're one of the best teams around. Reliable and professional."

"Er, that's not exactly what I meant…"

Olivia turned her head to hide her laughter. She was still jealous that she didn't have a regular assignment with Evan, but at least she didn't have to worry about Jessica making a move on him while they were off-world together.

"I hope Major Lorne brings Sheppard back soon," Jessica said, eying Evan's vacant seat anxiously.

"I hope Major Lorne makes it back safely," Olivia said quietly.

But obviously not quietly enough. Sophie gave her a reassuring little nod and raised her cup of orange juice. "To safe returns. For everyone."

The four women held up their cups briefly then went back to eating.

It was another hour before Olivia found out exactly what was going on. And she only found out by purposefully loitering around the Gateroom and accosting any military personnel who happened to venture within a few feet of her.

There was indeed a daring rescue going on and Evan was indeed right in the thick of it. She'd managed to weasel some information out of Billick and was horrified to find out the Deadalus was on its way to a Wraith hive ship.

And yet, life on Atlantis went on. Both Sheppard and Evan were absent now, leaving Stackhouse to manage things with Dr Weir. Olivia hid away in her lab, opting to skip lunch and keep to herself. She couldn't bear to sit in the mess hall. Somehow it felt like she had a right to be more worried than everyone else.

So while Evan was off being a hero, Olivia sat at her desk sifting through pages and pages of Ancient legislative texts. It was mind-numbing work but just enough of a distraction to occupy her time. She resisted the urge to keep going to the Gateroom to check in. If she kept hanging around, people were going to start asking her questions.

Then she'd have to start asking herself questions.

Truthfully, the idea of anyone not returning from a mission was awful, but the thought of never seeing Evan again made her feel physically ill. Her stomach churned uncomfortably all day as she attempted to draft a flowchart of the Ancient equivalent of a constitution. Most of the chart was filled in before she called it a day.

Olivia proudly stuck the hand drawn diagram up on the wall of her lab and regarded it critically. Not bad work considering her mind had kept wandering off to imagine nightmarish scenes of Evan fighting with hoards of ravenous Wraith. Dr Jackson was going to be interested to see the progress she'd made so far. A lot more had come to light about the Ancients since Olivia had started delving into the database in earnest.

She made a mental note to compile some of her findings in an email for Dr Jackson in the next scheduled report to the SGC. She hoped he would see it as a colleague sharing and not a colleague bragging about a dream assignment. The last thing she wanted was to rub in the fact that she was on Atlantis and he wasn't.

Olivia glanced at her watch and realised the mess hall would be opening for dinner in a few minutes. She had definitely worked late. Her heart began to beat a little faster. Evan had now been gone for almost twelve hours. Surely that wasn't a good sign. If he wasn't back soon she was going to have a sleepless night ahead of her.

Olivia decided it was time for another casual check-in. She scooped up her tablet and left her lab. People were starting to head towards the mess, but she went in the opposite direction, heading for the Gateroom instead. Going against the flow of personnel delayed her more than she would have liked, but eventually she emerged from a corridor into the Gateroom.

Up in the Control Room, Dr Weir was leaning over a console talking to Chuck. Olivia didn't really want to have to interrupt her for an update. Thankfully, Stackhouse was standing a few feet from her chatting with the female Marine who had once shared a body with Dr McKay.

Olivia waited impatiently for the redhead to leave then she hurried up the stairs, trying not to look too frantic.

"Sergeant?"

Obviously she hadn't pulled off the non-frantic look, because Stackhouse's hand dropped to his sidearm and he was immediately on alert. "What's wrong, Doc?"

"Nothing!" Olivia held up her hand quickly. "Sorry. I was just on my way to dinner. Thought I'd stop by."

"Jesus," Stackhouse breathed, slowly relaxing his stance. "You shouldn't run around here all wide-eyed and panicky like that."

"I'm not panicky," Olivia replied lamely. Stackhouse wasn't a stupid man. "I'm just excited. Had an amazing day with my work. Made some great discoveries."

Stackhouse narrowed his eyes. "And you had to stop by to tell me that?"

"I just came to see how things are going. You know, with the whole Team Sheppard rescue thing," she said casually.

"Oh. Well, they haven't radioed in a while, but last we heard from the Daedalus they were sending Lorne and McKay out in a Jumper towards the hive ship."

"Towards the hive ship," Olivia echoed meekly.

"Yeah. That's the only chance they have of making radio contact with anyone who might be onboard." Stackhouse reached out and grasped her elbow. "You're looking a little pale, Doc. You feeling okay?"

"I'm fine."

"I think I should get Cadman to escort you to the infirmary just to be safe."

Olivia shook her head quickly and forced a smile. "I'm really okay, Sergeant. I just need to go and eat something. I skipped lunch today because I was so lost in my work."

Stackhouse just shook his head and muttered, "Scientists."

"Thank you for the update anyway. I hope everything turns out okay."

"Me too."

Olivia smiled gratefully, turned and headed off in the direction of the mess hall. Once she got to the nearest transporter, she ducked inside and touched the section of the city where her quarters were. She wasn't up to dinner in the crowded mess. Not now that she knew where Evan was.

This was all a lot harder than she thought it would be. She'd never had to worry about another person so much. None of her friends and family back home had dangerous jobs. Evan was the first member of the military that she had got to know well. She certainly had a new found respect for all the military wives and husbands who were left behind while their loved ones were off risking their lives.

She didn't really think she was cut out for it. Yet another reason not to get involved with Evan. She couldn't very well expect him to stop going off-world because of her anxiety issues. And she wasn't going to be able to cope not knowing if he was okay at any given time.

Olivia was breathing heavily by the time she reached her quarters. Her empty stomach was making matters worse. Her lie to Stackhouse was starting to ring true as she became a little light-headed.

She threw her tablet onto her bed then dropped limply beside it. What she wouldn't give for a huge tub of triple-chocolate ice cream right now. That and a chick-flick and a warm cuddly blanket to snuggle up with.

The best she was going to get on Atlantis was a jello cup, a worn copy of Ocean's Twelve she'd borrowed and her over-sized Yale sweatshirt.

Better than nothing, she supposed. Her plan for the night set, Olivia rolled off her bed and headed for the shower. She'd have just enough time to relax a little and wash her hair before heading to the mess before they stopped serving dinner.

She took her time running her fingers through her hair. This time around, she decided to use her personal stash of strawberry-scented shampoo. The standard-issue stuff sent over on the Deadalus was pretty uninspiring. She felt like indulging a little.

The scent of strawberry swirled around in the steam and Olivia vaguely considered the mechanics of shower sex on Atlantis. The Ancients hadn't been very accommodating with shower space. That would make it a little tricky. She'd have to be picked up and pressed against the wall. Evan could manage that, she was sure.

The cool tiles against her back would be a welcome reprieve from the intense heat of the situation. A pleasant shiver ran down her spine at the image of Evan naked in her shower. What she wouldn't give to lick the drops of water from his neck and collarbone and trail her fingers –

"Attention personnel."

Olivia almost slipped and cracked her head open on the very wall she was imagining being ravaged up against. Dr Weir's voice had come out of nowhere, echoing loudly through her bathroom.

"Apologies for the interruption to your night. I have some good news for a change. I'm pleased to confirm that Colonel Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon have all returned safely to Atlantis. Normal Gate travel will resume and Colonel Sheppard is once again commanding officer of the military personnel."

"Oh!" Olivia squeaked. She began to frantically rinse her hair. They were back! Evan was back.

She towelled herself off in record time and threw on underwear and some sweats. Out in the corridor, curious people were milling around chatting about Dr Weir's announcement.

"Liv!"

Olivia weaved her way through the crowd to join Emma and Sophie a little ways down the corridor. "Can you believe it? I was beginning to think they'd never get back."

"Let's go and welcome the heroes back," Emma said, leading the way over to the transporters.

By the time the three women reached the Gateroom, it was filled with people. It was mostly military personnel excited to greet their CO, but there was quite a few civilians in the mix. The atmosphere was nothing short of jubilant. Olivia had never experienced anything like it. There wasn't this sense of community back at the SGC. SG-1 had been MIA before but they had never returned to a greeting party like this.

Sheppard, Teyla and Ronon stood at the centre of the crowd receiving pats on the back and hugs from everyone. Olivia craned her neck and stood on her tiptoes, but she couldn't find Evan anywhere.

"Ooh. I'm going to try to hug Ronon," Emma said, a predatory gleam in her eye. She slid determinedly through the mass of people jammed into the Gateroom.

"I better make sure she doesn't get into trouble," Sophie said, and followed their friend.

Olivia barely registered them leaving. She still couldn't see Evan. Surely he'd have stuck around to watch the proceedings. A scuffle off to her right drew her attention and she burrowed her way through the people in front of her.

Everyone was watching as Evan pushed his way forward to stand face to face with Sheppard. Evan just shook his head, a wide smile on his face. "You did it again, you lucky son of a bitch," he finally said.

Sheppard smirked at the distinctly informal comment. "Thank you, Major."

"Welcome back, sir," Evan said, giving him a proper salute.

"Glad to be back," Sheppard returned, snapping off his own crisp salute.

Olivia gave Evan a small wave to get his attention. He winked at her and slapped Sheppard on the shoulder. "Sir, you're in for one hell of a debrief once you're up for it."

"Right now all three of you are going to the infirmary!" Dr Beckett shouted over all the delighted voices.

Olivia watched as Evan extricated himself from the crowd and made his way up the stairs and through the Control Room. She followed quickly and he led her out onto the balcony. The twinkling lights of the city reflected off the ocean in shimmering ripples. It was lovely and more than a little romantic.

Evan was leaning back against the railing waiting for her. She'd never seen him so happy. Clearly happy to have Sheppard back, but also undoubtedly happy not to be in charge anymore. She stopped in front of him and bit her lip, uncertain of whether she should play it cool or just throw her arms around him.

"You do realise you're dripping water everywhere," he pointed out with an amused shake of his head.

Olivia shook out her wet hair a little, flicking water at him in the process. "Whoops. I forgot about that." She stepped up to the railing beside him and wrung her hair out over the side of the tower.

"You weren't worried about me, were you?"

"Not at all," she replied nonchalantly. "I knew you'd be fine. I also knew you'd find Sheppard."

"Well I failed you in that regard. Technically, he rescued himself. Up until a little while ago I thought he had been vaporised."

Olivia raised her eyebrows. "Sounds like you've got quite a story to tell."

"Mess hall?"

"You read my mind."

"I'm glad you came to welcome me back," Evan said.

"How do you know I didn't come to see Sheppard?"

Evan just laughed and put an arm around her shoulders. He pulled her close and pressed a chaste kiss to her temple. "It's nice having someone to come back to."

"Maybe I came to see Ronon," Olivia continued, snuggling into his warmth a little.

"Mm hmm. You smell nice, by the way."

"It's just my shampoo."

"Then you should use it more often."

Evan released her just as they re-entered the room. And just like that, they were back to Dr Meyers and Major Lorne.

They managed to eat a quiet meal together before people started showing up and crowding around their table. Olivia sat back contentedly and listened with everyone else as Evan recounted the events of the day.

* * *

Olivia shuffled the playing cards slowly then spread them out across the couch cushion beside her. Sheppard had been back for a few days now so the poker night was back on. She wasn't expecting to find the game itself very enjoyable. The actual event was going to be a fun new exercise though. If she had to learn to play poker in order to participate then she'd do it.

The prospect of the group dynamics alone was tempting. Apparently, just about every woman on the expedition attended. Even Dr Weir sometimes showed up for a bit. Olivia knew most of the female civilians by name now, but she hadn't properly met any of the female military personnel. They fascinated her. Holding your own in a distinctly masculine profession had to take a lot of work.

"Sorry I'm late."

Olivia looked up from her cards to greet Evan. "That's okay."

He came around the couch and she saw he was still wearing his uniform. He spotted her questioning look and shrugged. "I had an uneventful security detail on this side of the city. Figured there was no point going all the way back to my quarters to change. That all right with you?"

Olivia shrugged back. "Sure. Just don't expect me to still call you Major."

"Evan will do just fine," he said with a smile. He took a seat on the same couch beside her and her cards. "What are you doing with those?"

"Can you teach me how to play poker?"

"If you want." He slipped off his jacket and draped it over the back of the couch between them. Olivia was a little disappointed to see him in long sleeves. "And why the sudden interest in poker?"

"Girls' poker night is in a couple of days."

Evan groaned. "You're not actually going to go to that, are you?"

"What's wrong with girls' poker night?" Olivia demanded.

"I've never been, obviously, but I know the female Marines who organise it and they can be a little full on."

"Full on?"

"Most of them can drink me under the table. A few of them actually have. I doubt it's going to be a wine and cheese affair."

Olivia crossed her arms defensively. "You think I'm some sort of prissy scientist? I know exactly what I'm getting myself in for and I can handle it."

Evan swept up the cards in one smooth motion and began to shuffle them. "Well I've heard rumours about what's discussed at these so called poker nights."

"What would that be?"

"Men."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "We're all intelligent women here. I'm sure we'll have better things to discuss than you lot."

"Unicorns and nail polish and shoes?" Evan guessed. He fanned the cards out across the seat cushion between them and picked out a few.

"That's too sexist to even merit a response from me," Olivia said tartly.

"Pay attention. Cadman's game of choice is Texas Hold'em so I'll assume that's what you'll be playing. These are your face cards. King's worth the most then queen then jack. Numbered cards follow from highest to lowest. In Hold'em the ace can be high or low."

Olivia frowned. "So it's simultaneously higher than a king and lower than a two? Yeah. That's not confusing at all."

Evan grinned and laid out a few cards in front of her. "It's not that complicated. You went to Yale, right?"

"Look, I can quote you all the Margaret Mead you like, but stuff like this won't stay in my head. Can I write it all down on a bit of paper to take in with me?"

Evan shook his head. "If you're going to do that you might as well paint a giant target on your forehead. Everyone'll realise you don't know what you're doing and you'll get slaughtered. Probably better to skip the whole thing."

"Nice try. Keep going."

Evan sighed and gestured towards the cards he'd lined up. "That's a royal flush. Remember it because if you get one you're golden. It beats every other hand in the game."

Olivia studied the cards and tried to commit them to memory. By the time Evan ran through all the other possible hands, she had already forgotten what a royal flush was. It would be a miracle if she didn't end up making a fool of herself in front of everyone.

"I've lost you, haven't I?" Evan asked lightly.

"No. I get it," she said, forcing the cheerfulness a little too much.

"If it's any consolation, I don't think you'd be good at poker anyway."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Even if you remember every hand and even if you work out how to calculate your odds of winning, it mostly comes down to bluffing in the end."

"I can bluff!" Olivia said immediately.

Evan just shook his head at her. "You have too many tells. The Marines will spot all of them from a mile away. It's what they're trained to do."

"I don't have tells."

"Yeah? Well, for starters you play with your hair when you're excited about something," Evan said, focussing again on shuffling the cards.

Okay. So that was probably true. "I'll tie my hair back so I can't reach it," she said dismissively.

"Then there's your nervous habit," he continued, nodding towards where her fingers were tapping convulsively on her knee.

"Damn it." Olivia clasped her hands behind her back. "Okay. I'll just leave my cards on the table and put my hands in my lap. Any more?"

"A few, but I'm not going to sit here and point them all out to you."

"How can you possibly know all these things about me already? You've known me for two months."

"I'm trained to be observant as well," Evan answered, meeting her eyes squarely.

Olivia knew right away there was more to it than that but she also knew better than to press the issue. If he could see right through her then she was going to have to be more aware of herself from now on. The last thing she needed was for him to realise how much she really wanted him. That'd be intensely embarrassing.

"What are you nervous about anyway? This whole poker thing?"

"A little," she admitted. "I've also had something on my mind."

"And it has something to do with me," he guessed, setting aside the playing cards and giving her his full attention.

Olivia balked a little at the scrutiny. "It's nothing bad. I just happened to read your personnel file yesterday."

"Is that all?" Evan relaxed visibly. "What's the problem? I've read my own file before. It's pretty boring."

It did seem like a fairly standard military record. Olivia already knew Evan was from San Francisco and that he had a younger sister who had two sons. She know also knew that his father was retired Air Force and his mother was still a part-time teacher. They had divorced when Evan was around eight years old. Since Evan had never mentioned the divorce, she figured it was somewhat of a sore point with him. Maybe one day he'd feel up to discussing it.

It had been interesting to see how varied his military career had been. She'd memorised every base he'd been stationed at, even the two obscure foreign ones. The list of commendations was impressive. A few reprimands were hinted at but not explored in depth. That'd probably all be in his full file back on Earth.

It was more the information that wasn't there.

"It was actually what I didn't find that raised a few questions," Olivia said. "You were surprised to find I'd been married twice. Well, I'm surprised to find that you've never been married. How did you manage that?"

"What do you mean? I just never got married. It's not mandatory you know."

"I know that," she snapped. "But you're…you're…"

Evan grinned and gestured for her to continue. "I'm what, Olivia," he asked slowly, drawing out each syllable in her name.

"You're you," she finished weakly. "So what's the deal?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "You really want to have this conversation right now?"

Olivia nodded emphatically. "Come on, let's try a little give and take here. I told you about my first marriage, now it's your turn."

"All right, but consider yourself warned. My personal life is boring. I haven't had any illicit affairs with any of my teachers."

"For the last time, he wasn't my teacher and it wasn't illicit. Stop deflecting. You never got close to asking anyone to marry you?"

Evan shrugged, looking uncomfortable at the topic of conversation. "Once. Maybe. When I was in my mid twenties. Her name was Rachel."

"What went wrong?"

"I got sent to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar."

Olivia cringed. That had been his first foreign assignment. "I see. That'd make things a little difficult. She wouldn't wait for you?"

"I thought we could have managed it, but she didn't agree. "

"That's pretty horrible, Evan. I mean, surely she knew what she was in for when she started dating someone in the Air Force."

"We had talked about the chances of me being sent overseas. She had seemed okay with it. She even hinted that she would come with me if I were sent somewhere glamorous like France or Italy. She broke up with me when she found out that I volunteered for the Qatar posting. She took it as a sign that I didn't want to be with her."

Olivia couldn't hide her surprise. "You volunteered to go to Qatar? Why in the world would you want to do that?"

"I was sick of being stationed in the US. I wanted some real action. Qatar in the mid-nineties had enough excitement without being too dangerous. Remember, at that time it was post-Desert Storm and pre-Afghanistan. Seemed like the place to be and I knew they considered volunteers before anyone else," Evan explained. "I was thinking about my career, not my love life."

Olivia realised why he was uncomfortable talking about it all. He'd made a commitment to serve his country then had his poor heart broken by some nasty woman. "I'm sorry, Evan. It's sad that you didn't have anyone to come back to when you returned home."

He shrugged, trying to appear unperturbed, but Olivia knew better. "It really wasn't as bad as you think. The first time was probably the hardest to get over. My high school sweetheart wouldn't wait for me to finish up at the Academy. I remember thinking my life was over," he said, a self-deprecating smile lightening the mood. "I couldn't imagine I'd ever find anyone else. I almost didn't go to the Academy but luckily my mother stepped in to set me straight."

"I'm glad she did that or we wouldn't be sitting here right now. Okay, so you had a high school sweetheart and a woman you almost proposed to. Anyone else significant have the pleasure of your company?"

"There were two others. Both ended up pretty much the same way."

"Every single one of them ditched you when you got reassigned?" Olivia asked. What was wrong with these women?

Evan nodded. "Yeah. I met Sarah during my second last year at the Academy. She refused to come with me when I got sent to Fairchild Base in Washington. After I got back from Qatar and Turkey, I ended up at Peterson and met a lovely woman named Brooke who lived near the base.

"Then one day I got taken to a meeting under Cheyenne and things went bad from there. She couldn't handle the secrecy I suddenly had to deal with. So that relationship ended right after I joined the Stargate Program."

Olivia's heart sank. "Oh, Evan."

"Don't 'oh, Evan' me like that," he said quickly. "I'm not damaged goods just because a few relationships didn't work out."

Olivia was just beginning to think that maybe he was a little damaged. It would explain a lot. Like why he was so set upon not having a relationship with anyone on Atlantis. He'd been burnt far too many times. It was a sad state of affairs all right.

She frowned thoughtfully as something dawned on her. "But you've been with the Program for almost five years. You really haven't had a relationship in that long?"

"I really haven't," he confirmed.

"What about sex?"

Evan smiled a dimple-loaded smile. "Are you offering, Doc?"

Olivia didn't answer that. "I'm merely asking whether you've had sex in the last five years."

"Of course I've had sex," he scoffed. "What do you think I am? Some sort of monk?"

"So what, you found random women?"

"I'm not going to discuss my past sex life with you, Olivia, so stop prying."

"Prude," she taunted.

"I'm not a prude." He eyed her carefully then let out a resigned breath. "All right. Sometimes it was random women, sometimes the same one a few times. But never the same woman more than five or six times. It would have been relationship territory after that. Satisfied?"

"Mmm."

Olivia didn't know what she had expected him to say. Evan had always struck her as a noble sort of guy, but if he'd made a decision not to have a relationship then casual sex was really the only option. People have needs, after all. She'd had her fair share of one-night stands as well, but she'd never purposely sought one out.

Evan was staring at her, eyes narrowed challengingly. "Mmm. What does 'mmm' mean? You think less of me now?"

"No. You're still the golden boy of Atlantis," she assured him hastily. "But what sort of women are we talking about here?"

"I've never paid for sex if that's what you're hinting at. Have you heard of Air Force groupies?"

Olivia gasped. "Really? I thought they were an urban legend."

"Oh no. They definitely exist. Plenty of them in Colorado hanging around the Academy and Peterson. Some of them can hear dog tags rattling from a mile away."

Olivia couldn't resist a little giggle. Images of mobs of horny women prowling around Colorado Springs came unbidden to her mind. Not that she could blame them, a man in uniform was pretty hard to resist. Olivia herself had spent the better part of half an hour resisting the urge to let her eyes drift to Evan's damn thigh holster.

"So how did these encounters happen? Did you have to walk around with your tags showing or your uniform on?" she asked.

"No. They seem to have a creepy sort of sixth sense when it comes to military men. Most of the time I just had to walk into a bar and one of them would approach me within minutes."

Olivia figured the obvious military build and short hair probably helped in that regard. "I think it's okay," she decided. "I mean, your job is stressful. Why shouldn't you be allowed to have a little meaningless sex?"

"Thanks so much for you approval," Evan returned sarcastically. "What about you now? Give and take remember. Did you sleep with anyone at the SGC?"

"God no. I met a surgeon from Penrose Hospital. We had a mutually beneficial arrangement in place."

"Fuck buddies," Evan said with a knowing look.

Olivia sniffed haughtily. "If you want to be crass about it."

"It's not the same though, is it?" Evan said thoughtfully. "If all you have to do is make a phone call or show up at a particular bar and you know you're guaranteed to have sex. Didn't you find it a little unsatisfying?"

"I guess so," she admitted. But the alternative in her case had been another disastrous relationship where she would inevitably fall head over heels then end up hurting someone. Casual sex was better than nothing.

Evan crossed his arms and leant back against the armrest of the couch. "I prefer to put in a little work. Build up to it. Sex served up on a platter is just going through the motions."

The topic of conversation was beginning to make Olivia feel a little hot under the collar. Talking about sex had never really bothered her before. But the way Evan was staring at her was making her squirm in her seat. At some point, his eyes had gone from sparkling blue to a stormy sort of grey. Definitely lustful.

"You're uncomfortable," he noted happily. "Remember, you started this whole conversation."

That was true. Olivia decided that it was only fair then if she was the one to change the topic. "Evan, can you please show me what a royal flush is again?"

"Seriously? I showed you all of twenty minutes ago!"

She lowered her eyes sheepishly. "I forgot already."

He shook his head, the weary affection in his eyes making Olivia feel a little less stupid. "I'm not going to sit here for hours and try to teach you poker when you're clearly not that interested in learning how to play it."

Evan stood up and retrieved his jacket. "Where are you going?" she asked.

He stared down at her sternly. "To take a cold shower, thank you very much."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I'll see you later."

Olivia blinked at the now empty spot on the couch. A cold shower was sounding pretty good right about now.


	7. Seeping away

A/N: I'm glad to find out people are actually enjoying this story. I've had fun writing it and I think it only gets better from here. The beginning of this chapter features the infamous girls' poker night. Later events correlate with the episode 'Critical Mass'. Fluff-alert for this chapter! If you're reading and enjoying but haven't reviewed yet, please leave a quick comment! Big thanks to my regular reviewers!

* * *

The noise was the first thing that hit Olivia when she entered the rec room with Emma and Jessica. It appeared they were some of the last to arrive for the poker night. Fifty or so civilians were milling around chatting excitedly while Cadman was in the middle of the room supervising as Billick and Sherman shifted tables around.

"Are you being deliberately dense right now?" she barked. "I said parallel. That's not parallel!"

Billick dropped the table with a resounding thud. "Why don't you move your own damn tables then, Cadman?"

She tutted. "Language, Corporal. You're among ladies."

"You're no lady, Cadman."

She just grinned and planted her hands on her hips. "Now, now, boys. Colonel Sheppard himself volunteered you to help out. The quicker you do it properly, the quicker you can leave. Let's try it once more, shall we. This time _parallel_ to the other table."

With a grunt, they lifted the table and turned it around. They dropped it into place and Cadman clapped sarcastically. "Stellar work, gentlemen. Knew you'd get there eventually. Two more to go. Double time."

"She frightens me," Jessica said softly from Olivia's left.

"I like her," Emma spoke up from her other side. "About time we got some more female military around here."

"You know, she used to do that bomb disposal thing. You've got to be a little nuts to do that," Jessica added.

Olivia watched as Cadman continued snapping commands at Billick and Sherman. She wasn't generally intimidated by anyone, but Cadman made her feel a little uneasy. She was smart, beautiful and brash. Hard not to be a little taken aback by all that at once.

Emma suddenly tugged at her arm. "Look. They're handing out beer over there. Let's go."

Olivia wrinkled her nose. "I don't really drink beer."

"You do tonight, my lovely."

Emma made a beeline for the drinks table and Olivia exchanged an exasperated look with Jessica before they both followed her. A Marine, identifiable by her military-issue tank top and ludicrously toned body, handed them each a beer. Emma clinked her bottle with Olivia's.

"The regular beer drops are the best thing about the Daedalus being operational. Hey, lighten up, Liv. You look like you're at a funeral."

Both Evan and Emma had tried to teach her poker and both had failed miserably. Nothing much had stuck in Olivia's head. "I'm thinking maybe I should sit the poker part out. I'm not any good at it."

"I keep telling you, the poker is incidental. We only started playing when Cadman took over organising the night. Once the alcohol really starts flowing the game will be forgotten."

Olivia sighed. Emma clearly wasn't going to let her off the hook this time.

Cadman gave a loud whistle to get everyone's attention. "Ladies, how about a round of applause for our handsome helpers tonight."

Everyone clapped a little awkwardly and Billick and Sherman gave small bows in the middle of the room. Cadman nodded towards the woman at the drinks table and she tossed two beers towards the men. Once the pair left, Cadman gestured towards the tables. "Let the fun begin. Tables of no more than six, ladies."

Olivia let Emma pull her towards the nearest table and she took a seat between her and Jessica. They were joined by Dr Rafaela Esposito from the astrophysics department and Dr Amanda Cole and Dr Greta Biro from the infirmary. Emma quickly took charge of the table and started dividing the playing chips between each of them. She then began dealing and the game started.

Olivia folded her first three hands. Then the fourth as well. Emma elbowed her sharply in the ribs.

She almost jumped out of her seat. "Ow! Relax! I'm just easing myself in. I'm sure that's what all the good players do."

The conversation at the table was duller than dull. Jessica had been to M1K-177 the previous day with Evan's team and she wouldn't shut up about it. Amanda and Greta spoke about how great it was working for Dr Beckett and Rafaela kept complaining about how horrible it was working for Dr McKay. Olivia had realised ages ago that Beckett was lovely and McKay was an ass. She wasn't learning anything new or salacious.

Eventually, Olivia felt confident enough to play a hand and she actually won with three of a kind. Amanda was even worse at bluffing than she was. Olivia somehow knew that the MD didn't have a good hand so she had gone all in. Amanda folded immediately.

"See! You are good at poker," Emma said, giving her an encouraging pat on the arm as she gathered up her winnings.

"No, I think I just found the one person on Atlantis worse at it than me," she hissed in reply.

Amanda was first out, then Jessica. Once Rafaela ran out of chips, the three losers vacated the table and were replaced by three survivors from another table. The new players were the expedition's two female linguistics and the botanist who was dating McKay.

"Nice to see you, Dr Meyers."

"Likewise, Dr Newbury," Olivia replied reluctantly.

Theresa Newbury had settled into the chair directly opposite her. Olivia got a bad vibe from the woman. Whenever Olivia had shown up to get some help with a translation she had always acted too busy to help. The other linguist at the table was a sullen Russian woman who generally didn't speak more than a few words at a time.

Usually, it was Dr Hans Wilhelm, the head of the department, who ended up helping Olivia. He was an older German man who was always happy to provide his expertise.

"Haven't seen you around our neck of the woods for a while," Theresa said. "I got used to you showing up every couple of hours looking frazzled."

"Dr Lindsay from my department has graciously been helping me. She's fluent in Ancient."

"And you still aren't?" Theresa quirked an eyebrow.

"Uh, your turn, Olivia," Dr Biro said tentatively from beside her.

Olivia tossed her cards into the middle of the table with more force than was entirely necessary. "I fold. My Ancient is actually coming along quite well. I really only get caught out with the older dialects."

Theresa abandoned her own cards and gave her a patronising smile. "Good for you!"

Olivia downed the rest of her beer in a few gulps. Emma was tense beside her, ready to jump to Olivia's defence if she needed it. But she wasn't going to be so easily riled. She had encountered enough self-righteous bitches in the academic world to know when she was being baited.

Theresa wasn't finished though. "I must admit, I found it very odd that the IOA chose to send you over to study the Ancients even though you didn't actually speak Ancient."

"I had enough of a grounding in Latin to get by," Olivia said through gritted teeth.

"Not to mention, having Dr Jackson in your corner helped. I hear he all but forced the IOA to send you here."

"No one forces the IOA to do anything, you idiot," Emma interjected, waving her empty beer bottle erratically.

Theresa ignored her. "I'm just sad for you, Olivia, really. You never got to experience the euphoria of opening that letter from the SGC after months of hard work and endless petitions and presentations. You didn't have to do anything to get here. That must leave you feeling a little hollow."

Katie and Greta were looking on with wide eyes. The Russian linguist was staring at her fingernails and Emma was on the edge of her seat. Olivia put a restraining hand on her knee. She could fight her own battles.

"For the record, Dr Jackson approached the IOA before he even asked me if I wanted to come to Atlantis. So things were already in motion by the time I found out. And I did work hard to get here, so don't even try that. It just so happened that it was Dr Jackson who made the case to the IOA on my behalf, but it was my work he put forward."

"Whatever you say." Theresa shrugged, clearly unconvinced. "It's lucky we all know Dr Jackson's practically a monk or there'd be a nasty rumour going around about the favours you did to get him to do all of that campaigning for you."

Okay. Now Olivia was starting to take the bait. Her heart was thudding distractingly in her chest. "I would have thought you'd be happy to have me here instead of Dr Jackson."

"Why's that?"

"How many different languages does your department speak between the three of you?"

"Twenty," Theresa answered proudly.

"Right. Last I heard, Dr Jackson spoke twenty-three different languages by himself. His presence on Atlantis would render your entire department obsolete. If he were here right now, you wouldn't be necessary."

"Yeah!" Emma added after a moment's silence.

Theresa glared, mind ticking over as she formulated a response. The response never came because Cadman cleared her throat at the end of table. "Everything okay over here?" she asked politely.

"Great," Emma said cheerfully.

"It's just that you're not playing anymore."

Olivia looked down at the table and saw that someone had placed the deck of cards in front of her. Evidently, it was her turn to deal. She forced a smile at Cadman and started shuffling the cards. "Sorry, Lieutenant, we got distracted."

"It's fine. It looks like you could all use another beer. I'll have some brought over."

As soon as she left, Theresa opened her mouth to continue her needling but Emma cut her off loudly. "So, Katie! Dr McKay, huh. Wow. That's just, uh, just great."

"Rodney's not as bad as everyone thinks," the botanist insisted.

Olivia glared across the table, tuning out Katie's vehement defence of McKay. She hadn't wanted to have an enemy on Atlantis but it appeared now that she didn't have a choice. The thing was, she'd never done anything to put Theresa off side. The woman just hated her for no reason.

The night was still young and if Olivia was going to enjoy any of it, she had to get Theresa off the table and far away from her. So, she sat back and watched the linguist like a hawk. If she could only find her tell then she was confident of beating her.

It took a while. Greta and the angry Russian were both knocked out before Olivia spotted it. It was subtle. A small roll of the shoulder when she had a good hand. With this knowledge, Olivia played the next hand even though all she had was a pair of fours in her hand. Evan would probably tear his hair out if he saw her raising with such a crappy hand.

Emma and Katie both folded, leaving Olivia and Theresa facing off across the table. Katie turned over three additional cards. Another four, a queen and a seven. Olivia now had three of a kind. She fought to stay as still as a statue so as not to give anything away. She watched her opponent carefully. Theresa was smiling smugly as if she had a good hand, but there was no shoulder movement. A bluff. The fourth card was a six.

Theresa's shoulder moved slightly once the final card was revealed. Another queen. Olivia was thrown. At the very least Theresa now had a pair of queens. But she still had three of a kind.

Theresa pushed her pile of chips into the centre of the table and eyed her expectantly. There was no way Olivia was going to fold. She pushed her few remaining chips into the middle as well.

"Three queens," Theresa announced, revealing her two cards triumphantly.

So much for that. Three queens beat three fours. "Three fours," she said morosely, facing up her own cards.

Theresa grinned and reached for her winnings. "Wait!" Emma shrieked. "You've got a full house, Liv!"

"What?"

"Three of a kind and a pair. Queens over fours. You win!"

Theresa appearance turned from smug to stupefied in an instant. "You mean you just beat me without realising it?"

"Ha! Looks like I did."

"And all without Dr Jackson's help!" Emma crowed.

Theresa pushed away from the table abruptly and stalked off. Olivia turned to give Emma a high-five. Someone pressed a beer into her hand and she drank it quickly, feeling victorious and invulnerable. This time, Olivia, Emma and Katie went to join another table.

Olivia recognised Anna, a Canadian computer technician, Ava, a British nurse and fellow American Dr Celia Hawthorne from the geology department. They were passing around a bottle of vodka and taking swigs. They also appeared to be in the middle of a heated debate.

"This is more like it," Emma commented, rubbing her hands together.

"Pull up a seat, guys," Celia said, waving the vodka bottle in the direction of the vacant chairs at the table. She already appeared more than a little drunk.

Ava snatched the bottle from her hand as the three new players sat down. "Celia! Don't try to weasel out of it. You gotta pick one."

"Urgh. They're both alpha males of the highest order!"

Anna began to half-heartedly deal the cards. "What's wrong with alpha males?"

"All show, no substance. Give me a man with a PhD any day."

"Give me a man with a pulse," Emma said, gleefully accepting the proffered bottle.

She had a large mouthful then slid the bottle over to Olivia. When in Rome, as the old adage went. Olivia took a sip and handed it on to Katie.

"The city would run a lot smoother if the military wasn't even here," Celia continued ranting. "Idiots, the lot of them."

"Better not let Laura or the others hear you say that," Katie warned her softly.

The geologist rolled her eyes. "I'm not scared of them. If Elizabeth keeps it up, Sheppard is gonna be in charge of the whole damn expedition soon. Then we're doomed."

Olivia didn't like the topic of conversation. She knew some people took issue with the military's presence in Atlantis and their running of the SGC, but she didn't like hearing it said out loud. Especially not now that she was close to a member of the military.

Anna tapped her hand insistently on the table. "Excuse me? Back when we were told the Wraith were coming to the city, I remember seeing you all but jump into Lieutenant Ford's arms! You didn't seem to mind alpha males then."

"The Wraith wouldn't have even woken up if it wasn't for Sheppard having to be a God damn hero."

Olivia looked down at her cards, then realised that no one else had touched theirs. She sheepishly put them back down. So, they'd apparently reached the part of the evening when the poker was forgotten about.

"Sheppard did the right thing," Emma said. She swallowed some more vodka and winced slightly. "We don't leave our people behind."

Celia was becoming red in the face. And increasingly louder. People were starting to look over. "What?" she shouted. "_They_ don't leave _their_ people behind! There's no we here. Only us and them!"

Olivia had some more vodka. Just to strengthen her resolve before she waded into the conversation. "They keep us safe all the time and risk their lives for us," she said firmly.

Celia either ignored her or didn't hear her. "I think Katie's on the right track with Rodney. Brains not brawn. Brains not brawn!"

She continued to chant her little mantra. Then out of nowhere she slumped forward on the table, head pillowed on her forearms.

"Sleepy time," Anna said, patting the now comatose woman on the head. "That was weird. I think she must have been dumped once by a Marine or something. All we did was ask her who she thought was hotter: Sheppard or Lorne."

Olivia gripped the edge of the table, utterly horrified. There was no way she could participate in that conversation. She slumped down in her chair and tried to look as if she wasn't there.

Ava turned the now empty bottle of vodka upside down and frowned at it. She cursed under her breath and set it aside to look over at the others with heavy eyelids. "We need help. Anna says Lorne and I say Sheppard. Anna must be blind though because Sheppard has that pretty hair."

"So? Lorne has biceps."

"Sheppard has biceps, too!"

"But Lorne has _biceps_."

Oh God. Evan had been right. They were talking about men. They were talking about him! Olivia slipped further down in her chair. Her eyes were going to be level with the tabletop soon.

"Who would you pick, Katie?"

"Oh! I couldn't. I don't want…"

"Katie!" Ava snapped.

"Sheppard," she squeaked.

"Lorne," Emma said before anyone could even ask her.

All eyes turned to Olivia who was currently halfway under the table. She sat up straight and cocked her head innocently. "I'm sorry. What were we discussing? I wasn't listening."

"Who's hotter? Sheppard or Lorne? And you can't say both. You have to pick."

There was no way she was going to do that, even though the answer came straight to her. "Well, Lorne has blue eyes," she answered. Not quite a declaration, but surely enough to satisfy her interrogators.

Anna slammed her hand down on the table and turned to Ava. "Aha! See, Lorne has blue eyes!"

"Sheppard has sexy eyes, too," Ava pointed out.

"Lorne has dimples," Emma offered, nudging Olivia forcefully with her elbow.

Olivia flinched and tried to formulate an escape plan. She was annoyed to see Katie Brown had managed to slip away at some point during the last few seconds. Maybe if she crawled under the table no one would notice.

"But Sheppard has that kissy-kissy pouty mouth!"

Anna threw herself back in her chair in defeat. "This is really hard."

"Anything we can help with?"

Olivia turned to see two military women she didn't recognise joining the table. She couldn't tell whether they were Air Force or Marine Corps, but either way, they probably weren't going to appreciate the topic of conversation.

"We're trying to decide who's hotter out of Sheppard and Lorne."

The brunette who had joined them laughed. "You two did the same thing at the last poker night. Came up with a tie then as well."

"Anyway," the blonde beside her said, "we don't discuss unattainable men because it depresses us. So who here's caught one of Ronon's sparring sessions in the gym?"

"What? I didn't know we could just go and watch that!" Emma exclaimed, leaning across Olivia to gape at the women.

Deciding this was her best chance to escape, Olivia pushed her chair back and walked away from the table as quickly as she could without attracting attention. The alcohol was starting to make her head swim a little so she left the rec room and let herself out onto the balcony just outside the door. It was a cool evening and she didn't have a jacket on, but the crisp air was helping to clear her head.

A discussion of Evan's hotness somehow made her uneasy. Sure, she'd pictured him naked in her shower and in any number of other scenarios, but this was different. Other women weren't allowed to talk about him like that. He belonged to her. He was her personal fantasy fodder. The rest of those harpies could share Sheppard for all she cared.

Evan was hers.

"Are you okay, Dr Meyers?"

The voice was disconcertingly familiar. Olivia whirled around. The movement was too quick and she had to clutch the railing to stop from stumbling forward. Lt Cadman was frowning at her.

"I'm fine," Olivia said. "Just needed some fresh air."

Cadman pressed a cup into her hand. "In that case, try this. It's Athosian wine courtesy of Teyla."

Olivia took the cup and sniffed the contents dubiously. It made her eyes water. "Er, thanks, Lieutenant."

"You're welcome. I've been meaning to come and talk to you actually."

Olivia's eyebrows shot up. "Me? Why? We haven't even been properly introduced to each other yet."

"Oh, I know all about you already, Olivia. Do you mind if I call you Olivia?"

Olivia shook her head mutely. She was beginning to get a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "What do you want to talk about?"

"What do you think I want to talk about?" Cadman countered.

Olivia's first thought was Evan. But that didn't make sense. Cadman was supposed to be dating Dr Beckett and she couldn't be with Evan anyway because of regulations. "Is it Major Lorne?" she asked anyway.

"Bingo. Give the lady a cigar." Cadman gestured towards a table and chairs at the far end of the balcony. "Shall we sit down?"

For a long moment, Olivia contemplated just going back inside. Cadman couldn't order her to do anything. She was currently feeling a little fuzzy around the edges and she wasn't in the mood to verbally spar with a Marine lieutenant. Still, she was slightly curious.

"Whatever," Olivia said, and walked towards the table slowly. She wanted Cadman to see that she was staying by choice, not because she was easily intimidated.

"Great. I'm only looking to clear up a few things with you."

"Whatever," Olivia repeated and added a casual shrug to emphasise how unconcerned she was.

Cadman sat down and Olivia settled across from her. "I've heard you've got a thing with Lorne."

"Reed?"

"Reed," she confirmed.

"Reed knows squat about Lorne and I. Which means you know squat about Lorne and I. And Lorne and I are no one's business. And… and there is no Lorne and I so it doesn't matter anyway."

Cadman stared at her. Olivia looked away awkwardly and took a sip of the wine. Considerable effort was required to swallow it and not choke. It was the strongest wine she'd ever had.

"Even I've seen the two of you together."

Olivia scowled. "Two people can't be in each other's company without fucking like rabbits?"

Cadman raised a surprised eyebrow. "You aren't fucking like rabbits?"

"Not that it's any of our business, but no we aren't."

"I'm supposed to believe you're doing the 'just friends' thing?"

Olivia took another sip of the wine. This time she coughed. "Believe what you want. But don't you think that if I was fucking Evan Lorne I'd be shouting it from the rooftops."

"And you're not just dating him?"

"Again, have you seen me on any rooftops lately?" Maybe it was the wine, but Olivia was feeling bold. She eyed the other woman squarely. "What's it to you anyway, Lieutenant? Your rules say you can't have him even if you wanted him."

Cadman laughed, tossing her strawberry-blonde hair back over her shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous. I have Carson now. I know they don't need it, but I like to look out for Sheppard and Lorne. I've seen enough military men get turned inside out and tangled up because of a woman."

"You got McKay together with Katie and now you're the base matchmaker? Sheppard and Lorne are both big boys. They can look after themselves. It's probably best if you just mind your own business from now on."

Cadman narrowed her eyes and Olivia worried for a moment that she'd been too confrontational with that last comment. But Cadman only ended up snatching the wine off her and taking her own sip before saying, "I'm looking out for myself mostly. Those two are the best CO and XO I've ever had. It's hard being a woman in the military. You come up against a lot of shit. My last CO called me sugartits when he thought I wasn't within earshot."

"That's awful."

"That's not even the worst of it. But here it's different. Here I'm respected, not resented. Here I'm part of the team, not a burden. If Sheppard or Lorne ever leave Atlantis, I'm going to be furious. So I know they don't need me running interference for them but I'm going to do it anyway."

"I don't want Evan to leave Atlantis either," Olivia said.

"You know he's a total Boy Scout. If a relationship here goes bad for him, he'll be the one to volunteer to be reassigned. We can't let that happen."

Olivia nodded. "Between the two of us I think we can manage to keep him from being messed with. I mean, most of the women back in the rec room are scared of you already."

Cadman shrugged, but looked a little proud of this fact. "It helps to mention you're an explosives expert."

"It'll probably be harder to keep an eye on Sheppard. He seems very appreciative of the opposite sex."

"Nah. It'll be fine. Sheppard's main problem is alien chicks he meets off-world. No real risk of a relationship developing."

"Well, I'll help however I can with Evan. I'm pretty sure he's not looking to get involved with anyone in the city anyway."

Cadman gave her a knowing little smile. "That's not what Reed seems to think. You may not have a thing with Lorne right now, but the scuttlebutt is Lorne wants there to be something."

Olivia didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected to hear anything like that. Ever.

Cadman stood up and downed the rest of the Athosian alcohol in one gulp. "I just thought you should know that. Do with it what you will. But remember, if you end up being the reason he leaves Atlantis, you and I are going to have a problem. And that'd make me sad because I think you and I could be friends, Doc."

In that case, Olivia had no reason to be worried about incurring Cadman's considerable wrath. Leaving was never going to be a problem no matter what happened between her and Evan. She had less than ten months left on Atlantis. She was the one who'd end up leaving if things went bad between them. She'd still end up leaving even if things went well.

"Are you coming back inside?" Cadman asked.

Olivia wrapped her arms around herself. She was feeling too sorry for herself to go back in yet. "In a few minutes."

She frowned at her watch. "I better get in there now. This is around the time they usually start discussing Carson and McKay. Should go and defend my man and make sure Katie's all right."

Cadman left and Olivia went to look out over the railing. There were a lot more stars visible from Lantea than she was used to seeing on Earth. She wondered if the Ancients ever connected the stars to draw actual pictures, like today's humans did, or if they only used abstract constellations in Gate addresses. She'd have to check the database.

Olivia wasn't looking forward to going back to her own quarters and getting into her cold, empty bed. The night hadn't gone exactly the way she had thought it would when she had originally agreed to attend. She'd been called out by one of her so-called peers, confronted by the city's fringe element of military-haters and threatened by an explosives expert all in the same night. Not to mention being made to discuss Evan's hotness with other women in public.

For the first time since coming to Atlantis, she missed Earth.

* * *

A week later, Olivia was still feeling miserable. Homesickness had settled over her like a heavy blanket. The weight of it made her mope and slump around the city. She stayed in her lab or her quarters for the most part.

She was also avoiding Evan like the plague. The events of the girls' poker night were still haunting her. The truth was, she had already started to notice little signals that might suggest that Evan wanted to be more than friends. The added information that Lt Reed had also noticed only made things worse.

A relationship seemed to be there on the offering. All she had to do was let her guard down.

Olivia couldn't do that to Evan. Wouldn't do that to Evan.

She still hadn't told him that her time on Atlantis was limited. No one but Dr Weir knew she was only a temporary expedition member. Not even Emma and Sophie knew what was going on. At first she hadn't told Evan because it wasn't really something you had to announce to a mere acquaintance. Now she was too scared to say anything.

Still, she knew the longer she let it go on for, the worse it would be when he finally found out she had to leave.

Olivia's work had consumed her over the last week. But even in her current mood, the Ancients weren't providing their usual thrill. She was finding it all tedious now. Even her last email to Dr Jackson had so far gone unanswered, but that wasn't surprising. He was an exceedingly busy man. She just hoped he wasn't dead – again. The Daedalus had just returned from Earth. She made a mental note to go and check with one of the crew later.

Right now, she needed a break.

Being elbow deep in the Ancient database for days and having to come up with excuses not to meet with Evan had left Olivia feeling tired. She could even feel a migraine coming on.

So, Olivia gathered up a book and her iPod and made her way to her favourite room. Emma and Sophie wouldn't find her there and Evan seemed occupied with something. Yesterday, military teams had been crawling all over the city. Today everything seemed to be back to normal in that regard, but Evan still looked busy with something.

Welcoming a chance for peace and quiet, Olivia stretched out on one of the couches and pulled off her radio earpiece. She placed it on the floor beside the couch and popped in her ear buds. She picked a random play list and opened her book. One sentence into it and she realised she wasn't in the mood to read.

Closing her eyes slowly, Olivia rested the open book across her chest. She drifted away almost immediately.

_They were on a balcony somewhere in the city. Her and Evan. Kissing._

_He had her pressed up against the railing. She was clutching at his shoulders, desperately trying to keep herself upright under the onslaught of his kiss. He tasted fresh and masculine and hot._

_Evan pulled back suddenly and she whimpered slightly. His hands fell to the buttons of her blouse. "Let's get this off, shall we."_

_Olivia nodded and moved her hands to help him. He laughed and swatted her away. He started undoing her buttons as he moved back in to trail wet kisses up and down her neck._

_Olivia smiled and stroked his hair. This was perfect. He was perfect. Her blouse fell away from her shoulders and she gave a little shiver of anticipation._

_He continued paying attention to her neck as his hand slid down the middle of her chest. Her body tensed with the knowledge that soon his hands would finally be on her._

_But the pleasure never came. Only blinding, excruciating pain through her entire body._

_Screaming, she pushed Evan away. Except it wasn't Evan anymore. A Wraith had its hand attached to her chest, sucking the life from her body_

_Olivia screamed again and tried to pull the hand away. That just made it more painful. The Wraith sneered, baring sharp teeth and blowing putrid breath in her face._

_She continued to struggle. But it was completely futile. The Wraith was taking her life. She could feel it seeping away. She realised it was going to throw her off the balcony. Her feet left the ground and she started to fall backwards…_

"Olivia!"

She jolted awake. Evan was standing over her looking pissed. He'd removed her ear buds and was shaking her shoulder violently. She was sweating and breathing heavily.

"Get up!"

"Huh?" Olivia blinked stupidly. She was confused. Her chest was literally burning from the memory of the nightmare she'd just had. She frowned up at Evan.

"Get up!" he repeated. This time he grabbed her by the upper arm and hauled her to her feet.

Her book and iPod went flying. She still didn't know what was going on, but she wasn't in the mood to be manhandled. "Let go of me," she demanded, attempting to pry his fingers from her arm.

"Stop it!" Evan slapped her hand away. "Where's your damn radio?"

"On the floor! Let go of me!"

Evan snatched up the earpiece and shoved it in her hand. "Put it in your ear and keep it there. Now, come on, we're leaving."

Olivia shook her head defiantly. "Not going anywhere till you tell me what's going on."

"Don't make me throw you over my shoulder, because I will do that if you don't start moving."

"For God's sake, Evan!"

"Atlantis is being evacuated, okay! The city's going to explode in, oh, ten minutes. Give or take a few seconds. Move!"

Olivia let herself be steered towards the door and pulled down the corridor at a brisk run. "We're being evacuated?"

"Have already _been _evacuated. The rest of the civilians and the Athosians have just left on the Daedalus. We're taking a Jumper off the planet. Hurry up!" he barked, tugging insistently at her wrist.

"What the hell's going on?" she asked, stumbling along slightly. Half her body was still asleep evidently. She almost tripped over several times.

Evan didn't bother to answer. He led her around a corner and slowed down. "There should be a transporter around her somewhere. Ah! Here, get in."

Olivia was unceremoniously pushed into the transporter. She clutched at the wall for support. There was that damn migraine she'd been trying to avoid.

Evan pressed the map and the doors reopened into an identical corridor. He went to grab hold of her again but she stepped away. He glowered at her. "Hurry up then. Jumpers are this way. You're lucky I knew where to find you, Olivia. Anyone else would have had to use the city's life signs detector to find you and that would have wasted precious minutes."

Olivia didn't say anything. She was really getting sick of everyone dumping on her. Now Evan saw fit to give her a lecture because she had accidentally fallen asleep. She set her jaw and ran after him.

In the next corridor, they turned a corner and emerged into a large hangar bay. A Puddle Jumper was disappearing through the hole in the roof. Three more sat idle in the bay, their doors all still open.

Evan approached one of the other Jumpers and Captain Coughlin came jogging down the ramp. "Take her," he said, gesturing to Olivia.

Coughlin nodded and grabbed her upper arm. "Hey!" she protested. She was also getting sick of being grabbed.

He said nothing and didn't loosen his grip. He marched her into the Jumper and pointed to a spot between two Marines. "Sit down."

Olivia wrenched her arm away. There was about a foot of space between the two Marines. She wedged herself into the gap as best she could, ignoring the curious looks from all the uniformed men in the back of the Jumper.

Evan came running in and the door shut behind him. "Okay, here we go people."

That was how Olivia spent her first ever Jumper ride. Jammed between two huge, sweaty Marines and wondering if she would ever see Atlantis again. It definitely wasn't the most fun she'd ever had in her life.

Luckily, it was a quick trip. About seven minutes later, Dr Weir's voice came over the radio to give the all clear. The city had survived yet again.

Relieved, Olivia's let her head fall back against the hull of the Jumper. One of the Marines gave an excited 'Oorah' then they all started and Olivia's migraine pounded through her skull.

All of that yelling and pushing and worrying for a seven minute Jumper ride. They hadn't even made it into space. She could have stayed in the city, slept through the entire drama and been none the wiser.

When the Jumper settled back into the hangar bay and the door opened, Olivia made sure she was first off the ship. She headed straight for her quarters and sighed in relief when the door slid shut behind her. She leant against it for a minute and took a deep breath.

Of course, she hadn't wanted the city to be destroyed, but right now returning to Earth wasn't looking like such a bad idea. She clearly wasn't cut out to be part of the Atlantis expedition.

Olivia dry swallowed a couple of pills then retreated into her shower to stand under the warm spray for half and hour or so. Once she was dressed again and had her radio securely in her ear, she went back to her reading room to retrieve her book and iPod. She wasn't in the mood to read or listen to music anymore. She was tired but a little hesitant to sleep.

Admittedly, she didn't know much about dream interpretation, but when a pleasant sex dream morphed into a horrifying Wraith feeding, that was probably a bad sign. Freud would have had a field day with her screwed up psyche.

Everyone had disembarked from the Daedalus while she had been in the shower. She quickly assured Emma and Sophie over her radio that she was fine and that she would tell her side of the evacuation when she was feeling up to it.

Olivia had just settled back into her quarters when the Ancient equivalent of a doorbell chimed. She groaned and went to answer it. She should have known Emma and Sophie wouldn't be patient.

Except when the door slid open, it revealed Evan instead. He was standing with his hands behind his back looking awkward and apologetic.

"Oh God, what now?"

"Nothing. I only came to apologise. Can I come in?"

Olivia stepped aside and gestured him through. "Fine. But my head hurts so don't shout at me anymore."

Evan winced and stepped past her, turning so he kept facing her the whole time. The door shut then he spoke. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I was just worried about you. When you didn't show up at the evacuation point I realised you somehow hadn't heard the announcement. Then when nobody could get in touch with you via your radio, I got a little scared."

"My music wasn't that loud," Olivia said defensively. "I would have heard the announcement if I hadn't fallen asleep and I definitely didn't mean to fall asleep."

"I know. I shouldn't have been so rough with you."

Olivia shrugged. "I'll survive."

"I'm really sorry," he repeated. "I wish I could promise you it won't happen next time but if you ever scare me like that again I have a feeling I'll probably behave exactly the same way."

Olivia had planned on making him squirm a little more, but her resolve was slipping. It had been a long week for her. Nothing had seemed right since the poker night. But here was someone on Atlantis who quite clearly cared about her.

"I've had a shit time since the poker night, Evan. A really shit time," she emphasised, willing herself not to start crying everywhere like an idiot.

He nodded knowingly. "I thought as much. That's why I brought you something. I just finished taking the Athosians back to their settlement. I made a quick stop before coming back."

"You got me something from the mainland?" she asked, trying to peer around his back.

"Yeah. I mean, it's not a romantic something. If you don't like them, it's absolutely fine. I just thought they were bright and cheerful and that you could use bright and cheerful right about now. And I wanted to make sure you knew I was genuinely sorry about before. I don't want you to be upset with me."

"Evan!"

"Okay, here you go."

He brought his hands around to reveal a bunch of yellow and pink wildflowers he'd put in one of the plastic jugs from the mess hall. Olivia grinned appreciatively. She couldn't remember the last time anyone had given her flowers. It had been a few years at least.

"They're beautiful. Thank you." She stepped up and took the improvised vase from him. She went and placed it on her nightstand and stood back. "They're going to brighten up my day whenever I look at them."

Evan relaxed, looking relieved and pleased that she liked the flowers. "I'd stay with you, but I have to report back to Sheppard. Caldwell's not quite himself at the moment. Dr Weir needs our help."

"That's okay. I'm glad you stopped by."

"Is there anything else I can do to cheer you up?" he asked.

Olivia swallowed past the lump in her throat. "You already did it, Evan."

Unable to resist any longer, she threw herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his middle tightly and buried her face in his chest. Caught off guard, he tensed suddenly then relaxed again.

"Okay. Sheppard can wait another five minutes," he said, stroking her hair comfortingly.

Olivia didn't care about Sheppard or Weir or Atlantis. She closed her eyes and lost herself in Evan's solid chest and the sound of his slightly accelerated heartbeat.


	8. Makeshift team

A/N: Thanks for reading/reviewing/following! We've jumped ahead a few months. This chapter takes place during 'The Long Goodbye' and contains off-world shenanigans. Finally! Enjoy the long-awaited action. Please review!

* * *

The creature was so close that Olivia could see little chunks of flesh in its bared teeth. It had obviously just eaten. Perhaps that meant it wasn't hungry anymore. A string of goopy saliva fell from the creature's long fangs and landed inches from her feet.

Someone was shouting at her to move. She knew that's what she had to do, but she didn't know how she was supposed to get around the animal staring her down. It was easily the size of a rhinoceros and definitely had a thick hide as well. Whoever was shouting was also unloading his P90 into its flank, which only made it angrier.

Olivia watched in horror as the animal tossed its head, clearly enraged. She drew her foot away just as it snapped at her. She scrambled backwards till her shoulders hit the wall. The animal continued to advance on her.

"Olivia! For God's sake, get out of there!"

**Three hours previously…**

Six months after arriving on Atlantis, Olivia was _finally_ getting to go off-world with Evan and his team. She was so excited. It felt like her first trip through the Stargate. She was currently waiting semi-patiently in the Control Room for Evan and his men to show up.

Due to the time difference on their destination planet, the group was leaving at 1800 hours Atlantis time in order to arrive at mid-morning. Their briefing with Dr Weir had taken place earlier in the day. M39-288 was an ally planet that the expedition checked up on every few weeks.

It seemed like an interesting planet. The people were simple, coastal-dwelling fishermen but they had a complex system of government that Olivia was eager to learn more about. Plus, she hadn't been off-world in almost a month. The Ancient database was starting to drive her crazy again. She really needed this trip; the fact that Evan was coming along was just a pleasant bonus.

Familiar voices were approaching. Olivia whirled around to greet her new teammates.

"Evening, ma'am," Lt Reed said, greeting her first with a friendly smile.

"Ready to go?" Captain Coughlin asked brusquely, handing her a backpack.

"Yes," she answered, fighting the urge to grimace when she realised the backpack was full of MREs they'd be eating for dinner soon. "Where's Major Lorne?"

"There's been a change of plans."

Olivia's heart sank. "He's not coming?"

Coughlin shook his head. "Weir sent him out in Jumper six with Ronan and Teyla. They're retrieving a stasis pod that's orbiting a planet."

"No one else could do that?" Olivia demanded.

Coughlin raised his eyebrows and Reed didn't even bother to hide his customary smirk. Coughlin answered her curtly. "It's a delicate flight manoeuvre, Dr Meyers. If Sheppard's unavailable then Major Lorne is the next best option. Sergeant Stackhouse is being sent with us instead."

"Stackhouse," Olivia groaned.

"Excuse me?"

"Sergeant!" Olivia spun around to see Stackhouse frowning questioningly at her. "I didn't mean it like that."

"I hope not. I think I've done a good job so far of not getting you killed off-world."

"You've done a great job," she agreed quickly. "I was just expecting to be going with Major Lorne after sitting through the briefing with him."

"These things happen a lot when your team leader is the XO of the base," Coughlin said. "He gets called away all the time. You're still safe with us."

"Yeah, we have done this before," Reed pointed out.

"I know that!" Olivia insisted, her face beginning to burn with embarrassment. "It's not that I don't trust you three."

Stackhouse gave her a dubious look and turned to Chuck, who was sitting at the control panel looking a little stunned by the conversation going on over his head. "Dial us up, please. I want to get this show on the road."

"Yes, sir."

Chuck began hitting symbols on the control panel. The Stargate came to life in response and Stackhouse and Coughlin made their way down the stairs. Olivia adjusted the backpack into a comfortable position and followed them meekly.

"Your ears are pink," Reed said quietly from beside her.

Olivia gave him a sideways glare. She could really use a little reassurance from Evan right about now.

The wormhole connected, bathing the group in a bright blue glow. Stackhouse pulled a pair of aviator sunglasses from one of his vest pockets and slipped them on. "Coughlin and I will take point. Reed, you follow behind with the doc."

"Got it, sir."

The older men both disappeared through the event horizon. Reed turned to her. "Don't worry, Lorne will be here when you get back."

Olivia ignored him and stepped through the Stargate. She hadn't been on enough trips to be unaffected yet. Wormhole travel still disoriented her slightly. She stumbled out into the bright sunshine of M39-288.

"Nice day for a stroll through the Pegasus Galaxy," Reed said, stepping up beside her.

It certainly was warm. No one had mentioned that at the briefing. Olivia paused to slip the backpack off and shrug out of her uniform jacket. They had to walk for almost an hour towards the coast to get to the village. She shoved her jacket into the bag then shouldered it again.

"Are you ready now?" Coughlin asked, giving her an impatient look.

"Yes, Captain," she snapped.

"Come on," Stackhouse interrupted. "You're up front with me, Coughlin. Let's get moving."

The pair started walking away and Olivia followed along with the lieutenant. "What's Coughlin's problem with me?" she asked him once they were out of earshot.

"He doesn't have a problem with you specifically. He generally doesn't like anyone."

"Really?"

"Except maybe Lorne."

"And Amanda Cole from the infirmary," Olivia added with a sly grin.

Reed gave her a surprised look. "How do you know about Coughlin and Dr Cole? No one's supposed to know yet."

"Girls' poker night."

"Right. Should have known," Reed said. "But my point is that you shouldn't take it personally. I've been his team mate for a couple of years now and I'm pretty sure he only likes me half the time."

Olivia nodded and tried not to let Coughlin bother her any more. She and Reed walked in silence for a while. In the grand scheme of things, it didn't really matter if Coughlin liked her. But since he and Reed were such a big part of Evan's life, she wanted to get along with them. Reed wasn't a problem. Where Coughlin was reticent and snappy, Reed was cheerful and easygoing.

Evan's personality fell somewhere between the two. Olivia had seen him go both ways. The dynamic between the three was delicately balanced, she realised. She wasn't sure yet where she would fit in, but she was looking forward to at least spending a few hours with Reed and Coughlin.

The group continued on for half an hour. Stackhouse and Coughlin were pulling ahead as Olivia and Reed tried to keep up. Well. As _Olivia_ tried to keep up. The terrain so far had been undulating hills and meadows. Why the hell hadn't they been allowed to bring a Jumper? Her calves were burning and the weight of the backpack was causing her shoulders to slouch a little. Plus, she was sweating in a very unladylike way.

Olivia was actually glad Evan wasn't around to see her in her current state.

"You okay, ma'am?"

Olivia nodded vigorously. "I'm fine. And don't call me ma'am. Doc is fine, or Olivia if you want. Just not ma'am anymore, okay."

Reed frowned at her. "Lorne told me you liked being called ma'am. Said I should do it as often as possible."

Of course he did.

Olivia tutted. "Ignore that. He's using you to rile me up. Jeez, he's not even here and he's irritating me."

"Hmm. That's funny. He says the same thing about you."

"Major Lorne talks about me?" Olivia asked, fighting to keep her tone casual.

Reed shrugged beneath his TAC vest. "Not very often. That's how I know something's up. Anyone mentions your name and this steel door slams shut. He doesn't have a problem discussing any other women on the base. You're a different story. Sometimes he accidentally lets things slip then hopes no one notices."

Olivia nodded slowly. This was her chance to find out more about Evan without having to pry the information out of the man himself. "You know the major pretty well by now I suppose."

"Yeah, as well as you can ever know your boss."

"Have you finally realised that there's nothing going on between the two of us?"

"Oh, there's something going on all right. You're not sleeping with each other though. That much I can tell. Lorne isn't in that much of a good mood yet. But he's a lot less grumpy, so you must be doing something to put him in a good mood."

"I'm just a good listener," Olivia said, giving Reed a coy smile.

"For God's sake!"

Olivia looked up to see Stackhouse appear over the hill they were trudging up. "What are you two doing back here? This isn't a book club meeting!"

"Sorry, sir," Reed said, straightening up.

"My fault entirely, Sergeant," Olivia said quickly. "I've been asking questions and the lieutenant has been indulging me. I'll keep my mouth shut and walk."

"Good. Toss me a canteen, Reed."

Olivia turned around and let Reed dig through the backpack for a canteen. He handed one to her and threw the other to Stackhouse. Olivia drank deeply then gave it back to Reed who did the same.

"Let's try to pick up the pace a little," Stackhouse said. "There's not much further to go."

He turned and disappeared back over the hill again. Reed dropped the canteen back into the backpack. "You want me to carry this for a while, Doc?"

"No, thanks. I can manage."

They set off again. This time they matched Stackhouse and Coughlin's brisk pace for a while before Olivia got tired again. Reed slowed his own pace and stuck with her. He didn't get angry like Stackhouse or Coughlin and he didn't start coaxing her along like Evan would have done. He just walked quietly beside her.

Olivia decided then that she liked Reed. She liked him very much.

The terrain eventually levelled out and a welcome coastal breeze began to tousle Olivia's curls. Stackhouse and Coughlin had stopped up ahead and were talking in low voices when Olivia and Reed reached them. They should be coming up on the village any minute now.

Olivia looked around and noted how quiet it was. "Uh, guys, this may be a stupid question, but shouldn't we have run into someone by now? I mean, the village is nearby, right."

None of the men answered her. Olivia started to worry when she noticed all three of them had unclipped their P90s. That couldn't be a good sign. She sidled a little closer to Stackhouse and tried to work out whether he was worried as well. But his aviators hid all.

"Hello?" she hissed. "Anyone going to acknowledge me?"

"We should have come across one of the villagers by now," Coughlin confirmed.

Stackhouse spotted Olivia's anxiety and attempted to lessen it. "Look, they're probably holed up in the village for some reason. I bet there's some weird festival or ceremony going on."

"I hope so. I love weird festivals and ceremonies," Reed said eagerly.

Olivia nodded and swallowed past the unease creeping up her throat. "So we keep going, Sergeant?"

"No point turning around after we've come all this way. You two take point," Stackhouse said, gesturing to the other men. "Doc, stick by me okay. Everyone stay alert."

Olivia all but attached herself to Stackhouse's elbow and listened intently for any signs of life. But there was nothing. They were now walking through a dense copse of trees, through which she could see simple wooden huts. Still nothing stirred. No animals, no people. There was just the sound of their footsteps and the ocean lapping nearby.

The men all had their P90s raised when the group emerged from the trees and entered the fishing village. It looked deserted. Olivia half hid behind Stackhouse as he led her towards one of the huts. The door was ajar. He nudged it open with his foot and called out a greeting.

There was no reply. "It's empty," Stackhouse reported.

"This one too," Reed said. He and Coughlin had just gone through the same process at the next hut over and had evidently come up with the same result.

"I think the whole village is deserted," Coughlin said.

Olivia breathed deeply through a wave of nausea. It had to be the Wraith. "Has there been a culling?" she whispered.

Stackhouse shook his head. "Too neat. If Darts had shown up, the villagers would have panicked. It just looks like they bugged out for some reason. I don't think there was a struggle."

"Should we take a quick look around?" Reed asked.

"I think that'd be a good idea. Just keep in radio contact and don't go too far."

Reed and Coughlin both acknowledged the order with a nod. They left and Olivia followed Stackhouse over to another hut. This one was also empty. They stood inside it for a moment and looked around. It was a single room, which appeared to act as a bedroom, kitchen and living room all rolled into one.

"There wasn't a struggle, but I think they left in a hurry," Olivia said. She walked over to the table, which was set with plates and cups. A jug of what looked like milk sat in the middle of the table. It smelt sour now.

"I agree. Looks like someone was preparing a meal when they were interrupted," Stackhouse said, gesturing towards the fireplace where a pot of water hung above a pile of ashes.

"Interrupted by who?" Olivia asked, stepping back to his side quickly.

"Or what."

Olivia was just about to suggest going back to the Gate when her radio crackled to life in her ear, causing her to jump and seize Stackhouse's arm.

"Sergeant? Doc?"

"Go ahead, Reed."

"I think we've found something you'll want to see. We're in the north-west corner of the village where they keep their livestock."

Coughlin's insistent voice came through next. "Actually, Dr Meyers doesn't need to see this. Keep her away."

Stackhouse frowned over at her. "Captain?"

"It's a little gruesome, sir. Probably best if she doesn't come to this corner of the village at all."

"Understood. On my way." Stackhouse tapped his ear then turned to Olivia. He gently pried her fingers from his arm. "You heard the man. You'll be safe in here for a while. I won't be long."

"No. Freaking. Way."

"I can leave you my sidearm."

"What the hell am I going to do with that?" Olivia shook her head firmly. "You're not leaving me alone in this place. Not even for a second."

Stackhouse removed his sunglasses and narrowed his eyes at her. "You realise I'm in charge, right? You go when I tell you to go and you stay when I tell you to stay."

"Yes. Sorry, Sergeant. I'm just a little frightened. Nothing like this has ever happened when I've gone off-world."

He sighed and tucked his glasses into one of his vest pockets. "Fine. You can come with me but don't say you weren't warned."

Olivia nodded gratefully and followed him out of the hut. He led her through the village, which was larger than it looked from the outside. They crossed an empty square and slipped behind a large barn-like structure. The smell hit her first.

Rotting animal flesh. Reed and Coughlin were standing by a large fenced-off pasture. The ground was littered with the butchered remains of domesticated animals.

"God," Olivia said, slapping her hand over her mouth and nose.

"What the hell happened here?" Stackhouse said. He went closer and peered into the enclosure. "It looks like something…ate them."

From her own vantage point, Olivia could make out severed limbs and spilled entrails. Something had torn the animals apart and taken big chunks of flesh away. She had seen some horrid things during her fieldwork with remote tribes, but this was another level. She had to turn away.

"That settles it," Stackhouse barked. "Back to the Stargate."

Olivia had never walked faster in her life. The group cut back through the village and retraced their steps over the hillsides. Everyone was on alert, but nothing out of the ordinary appeared. Gradually they all relaxed a little.

"So what do we think happened back there?" Reed asked.

"Obviously something showed up and mutilated those animals. I just hope all the villagers got out in time," Coughlin answered.

Olivia nodded in agreement. She'd hate to think of a person ending up like one of those poor animals. "But where did they all go?"

Stackhouse pointed his gun towards a distant mountain range. "Probably in that direction. This coastline is prone to severe storms every couple of months. The people usually shelter in the mountains, but sometimes they don't get enough warning. That's why we like to check up on them regularly."

Olivia walked along in silence, sandwiched in between Coughlin and Stackhouse. The fear and adrenalin had finally left her body. Now she was hot and tired again. Only a few hours ago she had been sitting in the conference room beside Evan listening to Dr Weir give the briefing.

Evan was probably relaxing in the reading room right now. Olivia on the other hand was sweaty, cranky and hungry. She hoped he wouldn't be waiting in the Gateroom for her. It would be much better if she could shower before seeing him.

They were halfway to the Stargate when Olivia's radio crackled to life again. This time she only gasped and managed to refrain from grabbing anyone. The boys stopped walking and she realised the message was coming through to everyone.

"Sergeant Stackhouse, this is Atlantis. Do you copy?"

"This is Stackhouse."

"We have a situation back at the base. Colonel Caldwell has initiated lockdown procedures. All Gate activity has been suspended."

"Lockdown? What's going on?"

"Dr Weir and Colonel Sheppard have both been compromised."

Four sets of eyebrows shot up. Stackhouse tensed up again. "We should come back and help. We can be there in fifteen minutes."

"Negative, Sergeant." Olivia recognised Caldwell's voice replace Chuck's. He didn't sound happy. "You are to sit tight and await my all clear. We will endeavour to have you back within the hour."

"Understood, sir," Stackhouse acknowledged.

"Atlantis, out."

"Shit," Reed muttered. "We're stuck here."

"Let's just keep heading for the Gate. That way we'll be close by when they radio again to tell us it's safe."

Stackhouse continued walking and Olivia followed in single file between Coughlin and Reed. "Isn't it possible that we'll be stuck here for days?" she asked no one in particular. "Not long after I joined the Program there was a foothold situation at the SGC. I didn't have an office at the mountain yet so I wasn't there at the time, but I know the lockdown went on for a week in that case."

"That was Anubis," Reed said. "I had just joined Lorne's team. Remember that lockdown, Coughlin?"

"I remember wanting to shoot you after one day, kid."

Reed laughed. "You hear that, Doc? He calls me kid to annoy me. You see what I have to put up with."

Stackhouse suddenly raised his closed fist in the air. Reed and Coughlin froze. Olivia kept going and walked right into Coughlin, who groaned impatiently.

"Can anyone else hear that?" Stackhouse asked quietly.

Olivia held her breath and strained her ears. She could hear something now. A distant snuffling, growling noise.

"Sounds like it's coming from the other side of the hill," Coughlin whispered.

To Olivia's horror, Stackhouse gestured them forward and they climbed the hill slowly. At the top, they all dropped onto their stomachs and peered over into the meadow. It appeared they had found the reason the villagers had left.

Even from a distance, the creature was huge. It almost looked like a prehistoric rhino or hippo. It was lumbering across the meadow, its huge head low to the ground. Olivia thought at first that it was eating the grass, but then she caught sight of its teeth. No way was that thing a herbivore.

She realised belatedly that it was smelling the ground. It was picking up their scent from earlier. Stackhouse began to slide back and Olivia did the same. They retreated down the hill in stunned silence.

"It's between us and the Gate," Reed whispered.

"And it's tracking us," Stackhouse added, confirming Olivia's suspicion. "We might have to take the scenic route back to the Gate and hope we can keep ahead of it long enough to get out of here."

"And go where exactly?" Olivia asked.

"The Alpha Site."

That sounded like a great idea to her. Stackhouse pulled a compass out of one of his pockets and studied it for a moment. They all heard the crunching footsteps at the same time and turned as one to the vantage point they had just vacated. The animal was standing there grunting menacingly.

Olivia froze, remembering repeated viewings of Jurassic Park in her past. But whatever this thing was, it had better eyesight than a T-Rex. It zeroed in on them immediately. In a split second, it was barrelling down the hill.

Stackhouse and Coughlin both dropped to one knee. "Run, run, run!" Stackhouse ordered as he levelled his P90.

Olivia didn't need to be told three times. She turned immediately and started running for her life. Gunfire rang out through the landscape, followed by a gut-wrenching roar from the animal. The gunfire continued as Olivia ran. Reed was right beside her, urging her on and telling her not to look back.

The gunfire eventually stopped, but the roaring didn't. Olivia was relieved to hear Stackhouse and Coughlin come running up behind her. She was a lot less relieved to hear answering roars in the distance. There were more of them.

"The thing's got armour plating or something!" Coughlin shouted. "We hardly did it any damage then!"

Better and better, Olivia thought. The weight of the backpack was unbalancing her and causing her to wobble from side to side with every step. Running from a monster wasn't as much fun as running behind Evan, but it was proving to be just as motivating.

"It sounds like it has a few buddies. I think we can outrun them. Head for the village," Stackhouse ordered. "That barn by the animal pens looked like the sturdiest building."

The makeshift team ran back to the deserted village. Olivia vowed to start exercising regularly if she ever made it back to Atlantis. She was puffing and panting by the time they reached the barn. Reed got there first and pulled at the doors, only to find them secured with a heavy metal chain and a padlock.

"Move!" Stackhouse snapped. Reed stepped back and the sergeant took aim. Olivia managed to get her hands over her ears just before he took two shots at the chain, severing it.

Reed yanked at the chain and threw it aside. He pried the doors apart and raised his P90 before venturing inside. Coughlin pushed Olivia in next. Stackhouse came last, slamming the doors shut behind them. It was dark and dingy inside. There were only two windows, which were at the back of the building, overlooking the animal yard. They didn't provide much natural light. To make matters worse, the place stunk like rancid fish guts.

Reed switched on his flashlight and swept it around. "Well, this seems cosy."

Stackhouse and Coughlin both added their own flashlights to the mix and Olivia got an idea of where they were. It was a storage building stacked with piles of fishing nets down one side and sacks of animal feed down the other. A large wooden boat was in the middle of the room, obviously being repaired as it was currently missing several planks from its hull.

"Captain, take her to the far corner by the nets. Reed and I will try to fortify the door."

Coughlin grabbed Olivia's upper arm tightly and began marching her across the room. She shrugged him away. "I heard what he said. I'm quite capable of walking unassisted."

"Hurry it up then."

Olivia gritted her teeth and concentrated on navigating her way through the piles of nets without tripping over. Coughlin was really starting to piss her off now.

"Sit down over there," he said, directing his light to a low pile of nets in the corner.

She wrinkled her nose. The nets were obviously the source of the awful fishy smell. But considering she was already covered in sweat, a little fish thrown into the mix hardly seemed to matter. She threw the backpack onto the net first then dropped down beside it. She opened the bag and pulled out her jacket and a canteen.

"Careful, that's all the water we have now."

"I realise that," Olivia said, glaring up at him. She took a small sip then handed it to him and he did the same. She shrugged her jacket on and put the canteen back in the bag.

Olivia realised there was no point being hostile towards Coughlin. They were stuck together for the time being and besides that, they were both part of Evan's life whether they liked each other or not. She plastered a friendly smile on her face and said, "Let's start this again, shall we. I'm Dr Olivia Meyers, anthropologist."

Coughlin eyed her extended hand dubiously. Then he sighed and shook it. "Captain James Coughlin, US Air Force."

"Nice to meet you, Captain."

"It's just the way I am, you know," he said, looking a little awkward.

"That's what Reed told me. Believe it or not, I don't want to be your new best friend. I am, however, willing to be civil if you're willing to make the same effort with me."

"Fine. Just don't expect miracles from me."

"Lovely," Olivia said, rubbing her hands together. "I feel like we're making progress already. By the way, how are things going between you and Dr Cole?"

"How are things going between you and Lorne?" Coughlin countered.

Okay. She got the hint. That particular conversation wouldn't be happening. Still, Olivia at least felt like there wasn't going to be an issue between them anymore. That was the best she could hope for given their current situation. Who knew, surviving this mission might give them something to bond over.

"Right," Stackhouse said briskly, marching over to their little sanctuary. "The door is strengthened with a few planks of wood. It won't hold forever but it'll give us time to escape out the windows. I'm hoping being in the village makes it harder for us to be sniffed out. Too many overlaying smells. I think we managed to put a fair bit of distance between us and the rhino-tigers so we have time to rest."

"Rhino-tigers?" Reed asked, sitting down beside Olivia. "They look more like a cross between a dinosaur and a dog. A dino-dog."

Stackhouse snorted derisively. "No way did it look like a dog, Reed."

"I think it was a mixture of all four of those animals with a little grizzly bear thrown in," Olivia said.

"No way! It clearly had a dog's long snout."

"Its teeth were like a big cat's."

"Are we really having this conversation right now?" Coughlin interrupted.

Reed shrugged. "What else is there to do?"

"Eat."

"Right. Good idea. Reed, grab two MREs out. You split one with the doc and we'll have the other. Keep the other ones in case we're still here tomorrow."

"God, I hope we're not still here tomorrow," Olivia groaned.

"Missing someone back on Atlantis?" Reed asked.

"No. Just my own bed, Lieutenant. Hurry up, I'm hungry."

Grinning, he held out two bags to her. "All right, Doc. Beef stew or chilli and macaroni?"

"Urgh. Neither."

Stackhouse snatched one. "We'll take the chilli and macaroni then. Beef stew is the lesser of those two evils

Olivia watched with heavy eyes as Reed and Stackhouse activated the heating pouches and set the meals aside to warm up. Her body clock was telling her it was getting late back at Atlantis. She'd probably be getting ready for bed by now. Even her hard, lumpy mattress was preferable to a stinky fishing net.

As they ate, the men regaled Olivia with stories of some of their other missions that had gone bad. It didn't make her feel any better about their current situation, but she found the casual conversation comforting. Plus, Reed let her have the chocolate energy bar from their meal, which cheered her up a bit.

"Coughlin and I are going to see if we can hear anything moving around outside," Stackhouse said once they'd all finished eating.

Olivia watched them leave then settled back against the wall of the barn and drew her knees up to her chest. "You got a first name, Lieutenant Reed?"

He looked up from examining the slide of his pistol. "Matt."

"So what brings you to Pegasus, Matt Reed?"

He shrugged and holstered his weapon again. "The usual stuff. Action. Adventure. Hot scientists. Loose alien women."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "And saving humanity along the way is just a happy accident?"

"Something like that. What brings you to Pegasus? Some noble pursuit?"

"I wanted to shed more light on the Ancients and Atlantis seemed like the best place to do that."

"I knew it. Noble pursuit. It's okay to have a little fun while you're here. No reason life on Atlantis has to be all work and no play. Lorne has the same problem."

"The major has a tough job," Olivia said dismissively.

"All the more reason for him to blow off a little steam," Reed replied sagely.

Olivia didn't like the direction the conversation was taking so she stopped talking. She knew very well that Evan could get tense sometimes, but she couldn't be the one to help him work off that tension. That'd only lead to more stress in a few months when she had to leave.

The other two returned and sat down. "All clear. You could hear a pin drop out there," Stackhouse reported.

"Should we try for the Gate again while we still have daylight?"

The sergeant glanced at his watch. "It's been an hour since Caldwell told us to sit tight. We'll give it another hour then head out. This time we'll go north and loop back around to the Gate. Hopefully Atlantis will dial in and we can get them to send a Jumper to pick us up. Otherwise we'll go through to the Alpha Site."

Another hour. Olivia closed her eyes and let her head fall back. Her body was aching. She missed Evan's calm, steady presence. Not that Stackhouse wasn't doing a good job, but Evan was Evan.

Slowly, she began to doze off. Images of Evan helped relax her mind enough to fall asleep. Unfortunately, she didn't get more than ten minutes of sleep before she was shaken awake by someone.

Olivia jolted awake and stared into Coughlin's wide hazel-green eyes. His hand was over her mouth. Stackhouse and Reed were standing behind him, guns at the ready. Her brain took a second to orient itself then she pushed Coughlin away slowly.

There were heavy footsteps outside. And that horrible snuffling noise again. One of the animals was outside the barn sniffing around. Olivia didn't dare breath. Her escorts were all frozen on the spot as well. The footsteps gradually moved away and everyone exchanged relieved looks.

Olivia was just getting to her feet when there was a loud bang from the door. She screamed and the men all swung their guns in that direction.

"Give me a fucking break!" Stackhouse cursed. He grabbed Olivia's arm and pointed to the window. "Out! Give her a boost, Reed."

Stackhouse and Coughlin took up position to cover the door even though the boat obscured most of their view. Olivia stepped into Reed's cupped hands and he lifted her towards the window. She unlatched it and pushed it up. Behind her, another loud bang and the sound of splintering wood filled the room. Someone was shouting but she couldn't make out what they were saying.

Olivia hoisted herself up and stuck one leg out of the window. She paused to check there wasn't another creature outside then dangled her other leg outside the barn. It was too far to jump though. With considerable clumsiness, she managed to spin around and lower herself down backwards. She dangled from the window by her fingers for a moment.

Reed's head appeared through the window above her. He smiled reassuringly. "It's all right, Olivia. We're right behind you. Let go. Remember to bend your knees."

Right. Lucky he mentioned that. Olivia was so panicked she wouldn't have remembered to bend her knees as she landed. That would have hurt. She let go of the window and fell the three or four feet to the ground. She stumbled but managed to stay upright. Above her, Reed was ducking quickly through the window.

Olivia moved aside and he dropped gracefully beside her. He immediately unclipped his P90 and stepped in front of her. An almighty crash signified the destruction of the barn doors. Olivia looked up to see Coughlin clambering through the window now.

"We've got company out here!"

Olivia turned back and peered around Reed's shoulder. One of the creatures had appeared from the far side of the dismembered animal enclosure. It gave a warning growl then charged.

"Get her out of here!" Coughlin ordered. He dropped to the ground and began firing.

Olivia and Reed took off running back through the village. They rounded a row of huts and almost ran right into another of the creatures. "Wrong way!" Reed spun around and went back the way they came. Olivia raced after him, fighting the urge to start screaming hysterically. It was beginning to feel like the creatures were boxing them in and rounding them up. Surely they couldn't be that intelligent.

"We have to get out of the village," Reed said. "That way. Across the square."

A roar from the right announced another creature coming their way. "Oh my God! How many are there?" Olivia shrieked.

"Damn it. Keep running, Liv. Cross the square and go right. I'll catch up with you in a minute."

Reed stopped and faced the advancing animal. He began firing at it. Olivia's ears were ringing. She did as Reed had ordered and continued across the otherwise empty square. When she went to turn right, her way was inevitably blocked. The net wrapped around the creature's back foot identified it as the one that had crashed into the barn earlier.

It spotted her immediately so she turned left instead. This turned out to be a bad idea. She was running past what looked like taverns and stores. She was going in the wrong direction entirely. Eventually, she ducked between two buildings, hoping to find a way of turning right to get back on track to meet up with Reed.

What Olivia found instead was a dead end. The wall was far too high for her to jump over. She was well and truly screwed. The creature was just around the corner. She did all she could and backed herself towards the wall and screamed for help.

The creature entered the alley, all but blocking the whole thing. Olivia stumbled over her own feet and fell heavily on her ass. It advanced on her, snarling. She noted vaguely that Reed had been right about it resembling a dog.

The creature was so close that Olivia could see little chunks of flesh in its bared teeth. It had obviously just eaten. Perhaps that meant it wasn't hungry anymore. A string of goopy saliva fell from its long fangs and landed inches from her feet.

Someone was shouting at her to move. She knew that's what she had to do, but she didn't know how she was supposed to get around the animal staring her down. It was easily the size of a rhinoceros and definitely had a thick hide as well. Whoever was shouting was also unloading his P90 into its flank, which only made it angrier.

Olivia watched in horror as the animal tossed its head, clearly enraged. She drew her foot away just as it snapped at her. She scrambled backwards till her shoulders hit a wall. The animal continued to advance on her.

"Olivia! For God's sake, get out of there!"

"I can't!"

"Then I'm coming to get you!"

Reed appeared from behind the creature. He had a knife in his hand, which he plunged into its neck. The blade hardly penetrated an inch. The creature took exception to the attack and tossed its huge head, catching Reed in the stomach. He fell on top of Olivia and knocked the breath out of her.

"Shoot it, Reed. Shoot the damn thing!" she gasped.

He sat up and managed to raise his P90 enough to aim straight down the animal's mouth. He fired and the thing roared in pain. Blood sprayed out of its mouth. Reed kept firing and the creature began to stumble back.

Olivia was so close to Reed that she could feel the recoil of the gun reverberating through her ribcage. The creature began to splutter and cough, covering the pair in blood and bile and saliva.

Just when Reed had emptied his magazine, the creature finally succumbed. It fell sideways with a heavy thud. Blood pored out of its mouth and it convulsed a few times before falling still.

"Fuck me," Reed breathed. "That was close."

"Oh no," Olivia said as she felt her stomach heave. There was her beef stew again. She doubled over and vomited.

Reed patted her on the back. "Come on, Doc. It's just alien intestines."

Olivia whimpered and wiped her mouth. She was dripping with…stuff. The creature had regurgitated its last meal all over them. The smell was burning her throat and stinging her eyes.

Reed looped an arm around her middle and lifted her to her feet. "We better get out of here and find the others."

"Thank you," she said, clinging to the front of his vest. "You saved my life."

Reed smiled enigmatically even though he was covered in the same disgustingness as her. He pulled a chunk of something from her hair and said, "Like I would have let you get eaten. Letting your boss's girlfriend get killed off-world is a sure way to get busted back to private."

Olivia returned the favour and flicked a piece of guts from his shoulder. "I'm not his girlfriend, you know."

"If Lorne gets his way, that won't be the case much longer," Reed said. "And in my experience, Lorne usually gets his way."

Olivia started walking back down the alley to hide her embarrassment. He followed, reloading his P90 as they went. An explosion to their right brought them to an abrupt halt. Reed tapped his ear. "Sergeant?"

"Lieutenant! Thank God. Have you got Meyers with you?"

"Yes. We're both fine. Sir, where are you?"

"Coughlin and I are back where we originally entered the village. Get your asses over here."

"Yes, sir!"

The pair exchanged relieved smiles and took off through the village. Thankfully, they didn't encounter any more creatures along the way, but every so often one would roar in the distance. When they came upon Stackhouse and Coughlin, they looked just as awful. Olivia was thankful to no longer have any food in her stomach.

Reed burst into laughter at the sight. "Let me guess, you shoved C4 down the throat of one of the dino-dogs?"

Stackhouse smiled proudly and nodded. He had been showered with blood and guts as well. Coughlin stood by looking grim and just as disgusting as the other three. "C4 worked a treat. The blast scared the other ones away, but I bet they won't be gone for long. What happened to you two?"

Olivia smiled just as proudly and patted Reed on the arm. "One of the creatures was going to take a bite out of me when the lieutenant here starting shooting it in the mouth."

"Nice work, team. Time to get back to the Gate and bring this clusterfuck of a mission to an end."

"Think you can run the whole way, Doc?"

"Just try and stop me."

The four of them made a run for it, crossing the hills and meadows in record time. Olivia eventually got tired and they slowed down to a brisk walk.

"Wait till the zoologists hear about this. They're gonna go nuts," Olivia said.

"It's one hell of an animal," Reed added. "I've never seen anything stand up to P90 fire like that. So much for armour piercing rounds."

"Why would someone build a village near animals like that?"

"They wouldn't. I doubt those things are from around here," Coughlin answered.

Stackhouse nodded in agreement. "I've been here several times and I've never seen or heard anything about them. Also, it's unseasonably warm at the moment. I wouldn't be surprised if the weather drove them to find new hunting grounds along the coast."

The group lapsed into silence, each evidently lost in thought. Just when it looked like they were going to make it back to the Gate without further incident, Coughlin spoke up from behind her. "I got one on our six, boss. Closing fast."

"Another at eight o'clock," Reed added.

Olivia sighed. "Run?"

"Run," Stackhouse confirmed.

Olivia willed her legs back into gear and did her best to keep up. They ran for ten minutes, the creatures hot on their heels the whole time. Just when Olivia felt like she couldn't continue, a welcome voice came through her radio.

"Sergeant Stackhouse, this is Atlantis. Do you copy?"

"We copy, Atlantis. Good to hear from you!"

"Situation has been resolved and you're free to return at will."

They cleared another hill and the Stargate finally came into view. It was the most beautiful sight Olivia had ever seen.

"That's great timing. We're on our way to the Gate now. Be there in a few minutes," Stackhouse said. "Be advised, we're coming in hot."

"Do you require a medical team, Sergeant?"

"No. Just be ready to raise the shield once we're through."

"Understood. Atlantis, out."

"I'll run up ahead to dial us home," Reed said, lengthening his stride and sprinting in front of the group.

"They're closing in," Coughlin reported.

Olivia didn't need to be told that; she could hear them a few feet behind her. There was no way she was giving up now, not when she was so close to safety.

"Don't worry. Just keep running and we'll make it. Not much further now," Stackhouse urged.

Reed made it to the DHD and began dialling. They reached him just as he hit the last symbol then the central button. The wormhole engaged.

"Dive!" Stackhouse shouted.

Olivia threw herself at the Gate. Falling through a wormhole was even more disorienting. She turned on her side at the last second and narrowly avoiding smacking her face on the floor of the Gateroom. As it was, her shoulder impacted the ground hard and she slid a good three or four feet, leaving a horrible slimy trail in her wake.

She was still on the ground when the shield was raised. Two thumps signalled the creatures' demise. The wormhole disengaged, throwing the whole Gateroom into a stunned silence.

Olivia groaned and lifted her head. The security team on duty came forward to help them up, but stopped a few feet away once the smell hit them.

"No no, we're fine. Don't trouble yourselves," Reed said, sitting up and rubbing his head.

"Ah, damn it!"

Olivia turned to Stackhouse. He had his hand over his chest looking distraught. "Oh God, are you okay?" she asked, sitting up and reaching towards him.

"No. I broke another pair of sunglasses," he answered forlornly. He tapped his vest pocket, which crunched disconcertingly.

Olivia began to laugh. Her laughter soon turned into hysterical giggles. Reed began to laugh too.

"Stop that. It's not funny," Stackhouse said. His hair was matted down by various alien bodily fluids and he looked miserable.

"We almost died, got covered in blood and guts and then you broke your glasses," Olivia said in between gasps and giggles.

"Seriously. Stop it. You two are drawing more attention to us," Coughlin said crossly.

"Oh, I'm pretty sure everyone's already looking at us."

Coughlin grunted and tried to get to his feet but the floor was too slippery and he stumbled awkwardly and fell back to his knees. Olivia and Reed started laughing again. Stackhouse even joined in this time, ill-fated sunglasses momentarily forgotten.

Footsteps came running from a nearby corridor. Olivia didn't need to look up to know who it was.

"Oh my God. What the hell have you four been doing?" a familiar voice demanded.


	9. Terrible news

A/N: Thanks for the lovely reviews! Quick note, I'll be using the American spelling of mum just because it works better for me when imagining the American characters saying 'mom'. Same with ass/arse! Anyway, this chapter and the next will coincide with 'Coup D'etat'. A lot is going to change for both Olivia and Lorne. Look forward to a little Lorne POV next chapter. Enjoy! Review please.

* * *

One day, Olivia fell a little bit in love with Evan Lorne.

Since the incident with the creatures on M39-288 a month ago, things between her and Evan had been simmering at an almost unbearable level. But neither of them had made a move yet. Olivia was determined not to be the one to tip her hand, but if Evan were to…

"Olivia?"

She looked up from her book. Evan was lying on the couch across from her reviewing the mission reports from the last week. Olivia had started out reading Great Expectations, but her mind had started to wander. Apparently, the same thing had happened to her companion. His tablet was resting on his stomach and he was staring at the ceiling.

Olivia set her book aside, happy to indulge in a little conversation. "What's up? Reports not interesting this week?"

"They're always interesting around here. I'm just preoccupied right now. I've been wondering something for a while. Something about the Ancients."

Olivia almost jumped out of her seat. Sure, Evan was usually content to listen as she babbled on about her work, but he had never shown any particular interest in the Ancients. "What about them?" she asked, unbelievably curious.

"You said they wrote poems and novels, but did they do any actual art?"

"Art? Like paintings and sculptures and stuff?"

Evan nodded and sat up. "Yeah. I know they were mainly scientists but if they wrote poetry, I figured they probably did art too."

Olivia had not been expecting that. She looked at him for a moment, trying to gauge his sincerity. "I've come across bits and pieces so far. Why do you ask?"

Evan smiled an oddly self-conscious smile. "I'd just like to take a look at it. Can you show me some time?"

"I can show you right now." Olivia reached down into the bag she had brought along and retrieved her own tablet. "I've got some examples here. I was going to send a few paintings to Dr Jackson so he could have them assessed properly by someone. I only know the basics."

"I'm eager to see how the Ancients compared to our painters," Evan said.

Olivia joined him on the couch and began prodding the data pad to life. "So you like art. That's kind of nice. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

He shrugged a little uncomfortably. "It's not something I tell just anyone."

"Yeah, but it's me. I'm not going to hassle you about it. I might even be able to teach you a thing or two."

"I'd love for you to teach me a thing or two about art," Evan replied.

Olivia found the small selection of paintings she'd downloaded and flicked through them. She hadn't been able to get him to appreciate poetry, but maybe she'd be more successful introducing him to the world of art. It'd be nice to share something like that with him.

"Okay. Take a look at this one. I think it's interesting." Olivia handed over her computer and Evan frowned down at it.

The painting was of a green open field on an unidentified planet. The Stargate was visible in the bottom corner, chevrons lit up. When he just kept staring, she leant over. "See? The brushstrokes are even visible if you zoom in. Neat, huh?"

"Neat," he agreed, still not looking away from the painting. "The brushstrokes look short."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's the Mannerist style."

Evan shook his head and finally looked up at her. His eyes were sparkling with amusement. "Actually, you're a little off there. It's closer to the Impressionist style. They favoured short, thick brushstrokes like this painting. And the colours are too bright and pure for Mannerism. The focus on light and reflection leans more towards Impressionism as well."

Olivia opened her mouth then closed it quickly. Evan just smiled at her and handed the tablet back. "See the colours in the shadow cast by the Gate? Reminiscent of Monet's Haystack Series, don't you think?"

"Um…"

"Or maybe Manet's painting of the Grand Canal in Venice?"

Olivia finally snapped out of it and shoved him playfully. "You've been holding out on me, Major!"

"I know a little about art," he said, shrugging nonchalantly. "It's not that impressive."

"Uh, yeah it is! You made me look like an idiot. I thought I knew something about art, but evidently I've got no idea."

"Not what you expected, huh."

"No," she admitted. "But I should know better than to underestimate and stereotype someone. I hate it when people do it to me. Can you do that again with another painting?"

"It's not a party trick, Olivia."

"I know." She smiled sweetly and found another painting. "Please, just indulge me this once."

Evan took the offered computer and surveyed the painting. It was of the city towers, but that's all Olivia could tell. It was too stylised for her to recognise any particular building. Evan's eyebrows drew together and he cocked his head slightly. Olivia found the intensity in his eyes more than a little arousing. She twisted her hands in her lap and tried to wait patiently.

"This one's more what I would have expected. The Cubist look. I'd definitely associate the clean, sharp angles and simple geometric forms with the Ancients."

Olivia shifted a little closer. Just to get a better look at the painting, of course. "I found a bunch like this painted not long before the Wraith besieged the city the first time around. It makes me a little sad. Like maybe the painter knew the city might be lost during the war so they wanted to capture it from as many angles as possible."

Evan nodded. "There's definitely a hint of melancholy in the painting. My sister would be better at analysing something like this. She loves Picasso."

Olivia smiled and made herself comfortable against him. He didn't often talk about his family. It seemed to make him a little sad so she never asked too many questions. But this time he seemed happy to talk.

"Is that how you know so much about art?" she asked. "From your sister?"

"My mother, actually. She's taught art my whole life. My sister and I grew up surrounded by it. I never had more than a passing interest and a little talent, but my sister runs a gallery and my mom still teaches part time."

"Hold on. You can paint?"

"I haven't for a long time, but I know my way around a canvas I guess."

Olivia let out a low breath. "Wow, Evan."

"Wow?"

"I mean, a soldier who knows his Monet from his Manet? That's kind of…fascinating," Olivia said. Not to mention kind-of-really sexy.

Even handed back the tablet and said, "I've been thinking of doing a painting of Atlantis."

"That'd be amazing. I hope you'll show it to me when it's done. There's another painting of an Ancient woman I'm curious about. Can you tell me about it?"

He smiled and shook his head. "Give and take. I think it's time we had that conversation. You know the one."

Olivia's heart rate tripled in an instant. _That_ conversation? Finally?

"You know, your second husband. I bet you thought I had forgotten about him."

She stifled a sigh of relief. She could talk about that! "You sure you're ready to hear about marriage number two?"

"Is it as titillating as marriage number one?"

Olivia chuckled. "Sadly, no. Shaun was my own age. He was the football coach at the high school where my dad taught history. That's how we met."

"An English professor then a football coach? You really don't have a type, do you?"

"They were polar opposites," she agreed. What she didn't add was that they both had blue eyes. That was the closest she got to having a type.

"So what went wrong with this Shaun guy?" Evan asked.

"I thought I was ready to settle down. We got married and bought a house near my parents. It literally had a white picket fence. I started to feel a little suffocated by it all."

"So you filed for divorce again."

Olivia sighed wistfully. "I did. It was a surprise to him, same as Gerard. I let myself get carried away again. I thought I was done with fieldwork when I met Shaun. I was starting to move into ethnohistory by then, but I got itchy feet again. After the divorce, I ended up spending a year in Europe before returning to the lecture circuit in the States. That's how I eventually crossed paths with Dr Jackson."

"So you made a few mistakes. That's no reason to give up on relationships altogether," Evan said gently.

Olivia threw back her head and laughed. "This from the man who turns to Air Force groupies rather than making meaningful connections. Take your own advice!"

Evan crossed his arms defensively as she successfully flipped the conversation back on him. "Fine. Then we're both as bad as each other. What does that mean?"

"That means it's your turn," Olivia replied, dumping the tablet on his lap.

They sat there for another hour. She managed to cajole Evan into looking at every piece of art she had acquired. He knew more than he had let on earlier. As he spoke, pointing out subtle stylistic clues and explaining techniques, Olivia became more and more enraptured.

She hadn't thought it was possible for Evan to endear himself to her anymore, but there it was.

* * *

The following day, Olivia was dawdling around outside the conference room waiting for the senior personnel meeting to finish. She'd spent the entire night contemplating this new artistic side of Evan. This had inevitably led to a Titanic inspired dream involving naked sketches and vigorous sex in a Jumper. Complete with steamy hand print on the front window.

How they had managed to steam-up the entire front section of a Jumper was beyond her, but sex dreams were rarely logical.

Finally, the doors swung open and people began filing out of the room. She spotted Evan exit with Colonel Sheppard. Both men were blinking blearily as if they'd just been woken up. Evan caught sight of her and said goodbye to Sheppard before heading in her direction.

Olivia gave him a knowing smile. "Good meeting?"

"Riveting as always. There a reason you're waiting around for me?"

"Who said I was waiting around for you? I came to see Dr Zelenka."

"He's still in there," Evan said, nodding towards the conference room. "I think he's unhooking all his laptops and things. He and McKay just gave a presentation on optimising power consumption."

"Sounds fascinating."

Evan rubbed a weary hand over his eyes. "I think I lost the will to live somewhere around the twenty minute mark."

"Poor thing," Olivia cooed, patting him on the arm. "You busy tonight?"

"Yeah. Security detail in the Gateroom."

Olivia sighed impatiently. "You're second in command, remember. You can probably get out of doing security detail. I bet Sheppard doesn't do it."

"Well I'm not Sheppard. He doesn't do any details because he has the attention span of a five year old," Evan replied flatly. "Besides, I don't ask my people to do anything I wouldn't do myself."

"That's very admirable of you, Major," Olivia said. "It's just a pity. The Daedalus dropped off some new DVDs yesterday and I was going to invite you to my quarters to watch one of them with me."

"In your quarters?" he repeated, his eyes widening.

Olivia shrugged. "Yes. Or the reading room. I just thought my bed would be a little more comfortable."

"Your bed?"

"Have you got a hearing problem, Major? Yes, my bed."

Evan stared at her for a moment. He looked a little dumbfounded. "Uh, my schedule is wide open tomorrow night. How about then instead?"

"That'd work too," Olivia said slowly.

"I'm stuck on 177 with Dr Lindsay all day tomorrow, but I'm back just before dinner. Should I bring some food to your quarters?"

"That sounds good. And some beer if you can get your hands on it."

"I think I can manage that." He surveyed her with concerned eyes then leant towards her and lowered his voice. "You sure about this, Olivia?"

She nodded emphatically. "I'm sure we can sit on my bed together and watch a movie and drink a few beers without getting into any mischief," she said, knowing deep down that the opposite was true.

"All right. I just had to check." Evan stepped back and gave her a professional little nod. "I'll see you then, Dr Meyers."

"Enjoy the rest of your day, Major," Olivia replied.

Evan walked away and Olivia continued towards the conference room. She didn't know why they bothered to maintain the pretence of a strictly professional relationship when half the base already thought they were sleeping together. It seemed like a futile exercise to Olivia, but Evan took it all seriously, so she played her part for his sake.

In the conference room, Radek was arguing with Dr McKay about something incomprehensible. Olivia cleared her throat pointedly and both men turned to her. "Sorry to interrupt," she said, forcing a smile.

McKay looked her up and down quickly. "Oh. It's the historian." He turned back to his laptop.

Radek clicked his tongue and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Rodney, be nice."

"I am being nice! What am I supposed to call her? She is a historian."

"You could try using her name."

McKay spun back around and crossed his arms impatiently. "Fine. What can I do for you, Dr Miller?"

Olivia raised her eyebrows. He'd only been her for boss for, oh, the last seven months. "Uh, it's Meyers and I came to see Dr Zelenka actually."

McKay rolled his eyes. "Figures. You know what, they'll be sending me philosophers and theologians next. I'm telling you, Radek, nobody listens to what I have to say. The IOA does what they want. We're a scientific expedition and they send me a historian."

Olivia crossed her own arms, mirroring his stance. "I've already explained several times that I'm an anthropologist who specialises in ethnohistory. My PhD is just as valid as yours is, Dr McKay."

He snorted. "Yeah? Which one exactly? Because I have two of them."

"Rodney!" Radek said, throwing him a sharp look. He gave Olivia an apologetic smile and stepped over to her. "I'm sorry about him. If he doesn't eat every hour, he gets cranky. Do you need my help to compress some more data?"

Olivia nodded in reply. For the last two months, she had been getting Radek to help her with her work. Whenever she came across important information in the database, she would get him to run it through McKay's compression program and store it on one of the hard drives she had brought with her. The first time around, she had asked McKay himself for help. Unsurprisingly, he had told her in no uncertain terms that he was too busy.

He'd called her Dr Reynolds that time. At least he was now in the ballpark with Miller.

"I'm tied up running simulations at the moment, but I will be happy to help you tomorrow. Say after lunch?"

Olivia smiled gratefully. "Thank you. I'll bring my things to your lab then."

"I still don't know how you can stand being around soft scientists," McKay said, talking to his fellow astrophysicist as if Olivia wasn't there.

"I'm so sorry, Olivia," Radek said, shaking his head sadly. "He really is far too arrogant for his own good."

Olivia shrugged. She didn't really care what McKay had to say about her chosen specialty. "Hey, at least he called me a scientist that time. I'm considering that a compliment."

"It wasn't meant as one!"

"I'm still going to take it as one," Olivia said brightly. "I'll see you tomorrow, Radek. Always a pleasure, Dr McKay."

Radek gave her a small smile. McKay merely grunted indistinctly.

* * *

It was a bad idea. A really bad idea.

Olivia had been repeating this to herself all day. She still had no idea what had compelled her to invite Evan to her room for the night. It had been a whim. Well, not entirely out of left field, but so far she had been doing a good job of not taking that next step with him.

All of a sudden, they were practically having a first date. And she had been the one to ask him. Sophie had been right many months ago when she had insisted that self-imposed celibacy rarely lasted.

Whatever happened, she couldn't continue on the way they had been. Her blood pressure was going to skyrocket if she had to keep her hands to herself any longer. If Evan wanted to be with her, they could at least spend the next five months together. Olivia had decided that would be better than nothing.

"Are you okay?" Radek asked, looking up from his computer for the first time in ten minutes.

"Yes," she assured him. "Just deep in thought."

"I hope Rodney didn't upset you yesterday."

Olivia laughed. "It takes more than a few acerbic comments to upset me. I've developed thick skin since joining the Stargate Program. And it's only become stronger since I've been on Atlantis."

That horrid bitch Theresa Newbury was still trying to goad her into a fight but so far, she had taken the moral high-ground. And McKay wasn't the only one who referred to her as a soft scientist. There was a strict hierarchy on Atlantis and she was right at the bottom of the food chain.

"In my experience, genius and arrogance usually go hand in hand," Olivia said, moving to sit across the table from Radek. "Not in your case, of course," she added quickly.

Radek blushed a little and adjusted his glasses. "Thank you. Still, there is no excusing his behaviour towards you."

"Well, I bet even Einstein was a bit of a dick sometimes."

"Oh no, Olivia. Don't let Rodney hear you comparing him to Einstein. His ego does not need that sort of encouragement."

"Dr McKay is brilliant and he knows it. I can't fault him for that."

Radek tapped his chin contemplatively. "Actually, that might not be such a bad idea. If you start telling him how brilliant you think he is, he'll probably be a lot nicer to you from now on."

"Do you think he might even remember my name?"

"Do not hold your breath."

Olivia laughed and Radek went back to work on her data. Naturally, her mind drifted straight back to Evan and their plans for the night. She wasn't quite sure how she was going to play it. If she went in assuming that something was going to happen, she could end up looking foolish. And was she expected to make the first move since she had been the one to suggest the date in the first place?

She was definitely out of practice when it came to dating. The unwritten rules and delicate manoeuvring had never been her strong point. Mostly she dove in head first, which had never turned out well for anyone involved.

"Olivia?"

She looked up at Radek, before realising that the voice was actually coming through her earpiece. "Is that you, Soph?"

"Yes. Where are you?"

"I'm down the hall in Dr Zalenka's lab. What's wrong?"

"Nothing! Just…just, uh, stay where you are okay. Em and I are coming to see you. Whatever you do, don't leave the lab."

"If you say so," Olivia replied uncertainly. "Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"Absolutely! See you in a minute."

"Everything okay?" Radek asked, frowning across the table at her.

"I'm not really sure," Olivia admitted. There was definitely an edge to Sophie's voice that was unsettling her.

"If you have to leave I can drop the hard drive back off to your lab when I'm done," he offered.

"Apparently I'm supposed to stay right here. I've no idea what's going on."

Radek was beginning to look concerned. "Who was that on the radio?"

"Dr Rousseau. She and Dr Bradshaw are on their way to talk to me about something."

"Perhaps I should radio Rodney or Colonel Sheppard and see if anything's going on."

"That might be a good idea," Olivia agreed.

Just as Radek put his finger to her ear, Emma and Sophie came running into the lab. Both were wide-eyed and breathless. Emma spotted Radek with his hand on his ear and she pointed a finger at him. "Don't activate that!"

Radek dropped his hand immediately, looking startled by the command. "Why?"

Emma ignored him. Olivia got to her feet as her friends approached her. Sophie put a gentle hand on her arm. "You should sit back down again, Olivia."

"Why? Are we being evacuated again?"

"I'd like to know if we're being evacuated," Radek piped up.

"Be quiet," Emma snapped at him.

"Hey, this is my lab!" he shouted, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Olivia, there's been an incident," Sophie said, trying to push her back towards the stool she'd just been sitting on.

"We wanted to tell you before you heard it from someone else. The whole city will know soon."

"What?" Olivia demanded. She pushed between the pair of them and went to stand on the other side of the lab. "Tell me what's going on!"

"It's Lorne and his team. There was a fire on 177."

"And?"

"And they didn't make it out," Emma answered softly.

Olivia's brain took a while to process what was being said. Somehow, her body was already ahead of her. Her knees buckled and she reached out to catch herself on a nearby table. Emma and Sophie were by her side in a split second.

"Oh God," Radek said, jumping to his feet.

"Radek! Don't just stand there! Bring her a chair already!"

"Oh, yes yes. Right."

Radek wheeled a stool over and Olivia found herself being helped onto it by Emma and Sophie. Slowly, the rest of her body was processing the news. Her throat was closing up and her pulse was pounding in her ears. She felt faint and numb and sick and horrified all at once.

"It's all right," Sophie said, stroking her back soothingly.

"Is Evan really dead?" Olivia asked, her own words sounding hollow and distant in her ears.

"Yes."

"Then it's not all right."

Sophie bit her lip, looking close to tears. Olivia felt like doing a lot of things, but she didn't feel like crying. She had been waiting for this day ever since she'd met Evan that fateful night. It had seemed inevitable that one day he wouldn't return to Atlantis. It happened so often that the odds were against him from the very beginning.

But why did it have to happen just when she had finally decided to let herself pursue more with him?

"I think we should take her to the infirmary."

"Shouldn't we call for a medical team?"

"No. Let's not make a big fuss."

"It's one corridor over. Between the three of us we can get her there."

Olivia wasn't really comprehending the conversation going on around her. Evan was gone. She'd never get to see those dimples again. She'd never get to hear that calm, steady voice or that infectious laugh ever again.

"Help her up, Radek."

"I think I should call-"

"Radek!"

"Yes, okay."

An arm was looped around Olivia's waist and she was pulled to her feet. She put her own arm around Radek's shoulders to steady herself. He gave her a second then started leading her towards the door.

"It'll be okay, Liv. You just need to lie down for a while. Keep taking deep breaths."

Olivia tried to do that, but her chest was too tight. Her vision was blurring at the edges. She stumbled and almost fell flat on her face.

"For God's sake, Radek! Hold her up!"

"I am doing my best! Does it look like I do this often? I knew we should have found a Marine to carry her."

"Stop shouting at him, Em! You're doing fine, Radek. Keep going."

Olivia was slowly walked all the way down the corridor. Emma and Sophie hovered behind her and Radek. The unusual procession received strange looks from everyone they passed. Olivia registered little of it.

Evan was really dead. It had actually happened.

Next thing she knew, they were entering the infirmary. It was bustling with people as usual. A nurse hurried over.

"She almost fainted," Radek explained quickly. "We thought we should bring her here."

"Take her over to that examination table. Get her to lie down and elevate her legs with some pillows."

Olivia was helped onto a cold table and Sophie pushed her shoulders back gently till she was lying flat. Emma shoved some pillows under her legs and told her to relax.

"I'm very sorry, Olivia. It's terrible news," Radek said, grasping her forearm briefly. "I will take your things back to your lab myself. Get some rest."

He left and Emma and Sophie closed in on her, fussing over her unnecessarily.

"Why has no one come over to help?" Emma demanded.

"Don't worry, I'll go and find Carson. I'll get him to check her out himself."

"Lorne was a good man," Emma said softly once Sophie had scurried off.

"That makes it all right for him to die?" Olivia asked darkly.

"Of course not. I'm sorry. I'm not sure what to say in this situation."

Olivia suddenly tried to sit up. "There is no situation. People die every day. I need to get back to my lab and get back to work."

"You're not going anywhere till Dr Beckett checks you out. Lie back down."

"Carson is on his way," Sophie said, hurrying back over. "Why are you sitting up?"

"She's trying to go back to work. I think she's in denial."

"I'm not in denial! I know exactly what happened. There's no point overreacting about it. Life goes on."

Olivia tried to slide off the table just as Carson arrived. He put a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Easy there, love. Sophie says you almost fainted. I need you to lie down for a bit and let me check you out."

Olivia expressed her displeasure with a groan, but she let herself be pushed back down. Carson took her blood pressure, shone a light in her eyes and did a few other things that she barely noticed.

"Your blood pressure is back to normal. Your heart rate is still slightly elevated, but otherwise you're fine," Carson said, looping his stethoscope back around his neck. He turned to address Sophie. "What exactly happened?"

Sophie hesitated. She gave Olivia a glance then stood up on her tiptoes to whisper something in Carson's ear. His blue eyes softened immediately and he reached out to grasp her hand. "I'm sorry, my dear. I didn't realise the major was seeing anyone."

"We weren't seeing each other. We just…saw each other sometimes," Olivia said stupidly. How was she supposed to explain it to anyone else?

"I'm sorry for your loss," Carson said, squeezing her hand.

Olivia pulled her hand away and said sharply, "It's everyone's loss."

"That it is. Major Lorne was a good man."

Why was everyone saying that like it made a difference? Olivia had known that from the moment she met Evan. There was still no reason he should have died.

"I need you to stay lying down for another five minutes. Then I want you resting in your quarters for the remainder of the day. You've had quite a shock."

"Thank you, Carson. We'll make sure she takes it easy," Emma promised.

Olivia couldn't even be bothered to protest. She stared blankly at the ceiling and heard rather than saw Carson walk away. Emma and Sophie were talking across her but she wasn't listening. A horrible thought suddenly hit her.

"What about Jess?" she asked.

"She's fine. Lorne sent her back to the Gate when the trouble started. Carson gave her a sedative and sent her to her quarters. We can visit her later if you want."

Olivia shook her head. She wasn't up for that yet. So, it had just been Evan and his men. "Reed," she moaned softly.

"What about him?"

"It's his birthday next month. He's been talking about it non-stop. He's turning twenty-five. _Was_ turning twenty-five."

"Oh, that's awful, Liv. He seemed like a nice guy."

Olivia's heart was beginning to beat too fast again. She willed herself to calm down. She was never going to be let out of the infirmary at this rate. Surely, five minutes had passed.

She was about to ask the time, when an eerie hush suddenly fell over the infirmary, replacing the usual clatter and voices. Emma let out a choked gasp.

"What's wrong?" Olivia asked, sitting up slowly.

"Don't look," Sophie said quickly. "Lie back down."

Of course Olivia had to look. She pushed Emma aside and realised why everyone had fallen silent. Three shiny, black body bags were being carried through the infirmary.

Olivia burst into tears.

* * *

She didn't know how long she had been lying there. The sun was beginning to set outside. Her eyes were sore and her body was still wracked with the odd convulsive sob, but she hadn't actually cried for a while. She had finally run out of tears.

Olivia rolled onto her side and curled into a ball. Emma and Sophie had taken her back to her quarters and had reluctantly left her alone at her insistence. She had never liked to cry. It didn't really achieve anything. Evan was still gone and she still felt awful about it.

She had been cycling through the five stages of grief. One minute her heart was aching so much she thought it was literally breaking, then suddenly she was burning with rage and blaming Jessica for taking him to that damn planet in the first place. Then she was grasping at straws. A lot of people came back from the dead. Daniel alone had done it more than once. There was still hope.

Evan wouldn't want her to make herself miserable like this. She could picture him standing over her and shaking his head in disappointment at her current state. With considerable effort, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. Glancing at her watch, she realised it was nearing dinnertime. Her stomach was a little queasy, but she knew she had better eat something.

She was in the bathroom washing her face when her radio chirped to life on her nightstand. Sighing, she returned and slipped it back over her ear. "I'm fine, Soph. You don't have to check up on me every five minutes."

"No, no. Olivia, you won't believe it!"

"What?"

"It's not them! They're not dead!"

Olivia fell limply onto her bed. "But how?"

"The bodies are wearing their dog tags but the DNA doesn't match. Carson is sure of it."

Tears sprung to Olivia's eyes again. Perhaps she wasn't quite done crying. "So they're still alive?" she choked out.

"That's what everyone seems to think."

Relief flooded through Olivia's body and she flopped backwards.

She knew it!


	10. Bad timing

A/N: Thanks to JodyMarie and Dude for reviewing the last chapter. This chapter follows on from the last so it takes place during 'Coup D'etat'. It starts out from Olivia's POV then switches to Lorne after the second line break. Please take a moment to review! If public reviews aren't your thing, I'm happy to get PMs. Thanks!

* * *

"Any news yet?"

"Huh?"

"Any news about Major Lorne and his team?"

"I'm trying to eat here, Doc."

Olivia pulled Stackhouse's tray away from him. "Any news about Lorne's team?" she repeated.

Stackhouse let out an annoyed huff. "You mean since you asked me fifteen minutes ago?"

"Yes, Sergeant."

"Still no word."

Olivia pushed the tray back over and cupped her face in her hands. She was so tired. Evan had been missing for almost twenty-four hours now and she hadn't managed a wink of sleep in that time. Last she'd heard, the Genii were suspected of kidnapping the team, Sheppard was leading some sort of mission to steal a ZPM and the Ancient gene was involved somehow.

It was all very confusing. She just wanted Evan back.

Stackhouse resumed eating and regarded her thoughtfully. "Looks like I was wrong to ignore all those rumours about you and Lorne. I guess the rumour mill around here gets it right every so often."

Olivia didn't even bother to correct his assumption. "I'll leave you alone if you promise to radio if you hear anything."

"Whatever it'll take to get you to leave me in peace."

"Thank you. Was that so hard?" Olivia slapped her hands on the table and stood up.

"You know, that doctor Coughlin's dating hasn't been hanging around bugging me every five minutes," he said lightly. "Maybe you should take a leaf out of her book and try to relax and get some sleep."

"Thanks for your concern, but I'm fine. I'll be even better when Lorne and his team are safely back on Atlantis."

"Sheppard won't stop till he finds them. Neither will I."

Olivia smiled gratefully before turning and exiting the mess hall. That was exactly what she needed to hear. Things were still too uncertain for her liking. No one could say for sure that Evan and the others were actually alive. It was just a hunch given the elaborate nature of the fire and the body switch. It didn't seem likely that the Genii would go to all that trouble then kill the three men as soon as they got their hands on them.

At least that's what everyone was hoping. Olivia was clinging to that glimmer of hope. Aside from being tired, she was in a good headspace finally. Sheppard was well known for never leaving anyone behind and that comforted her immensely. As far as she was concerned, there was still a good chance Evan, Reed and Coughlin would return to Atlantis safe and sound.

Trusting Stackhouse to keep her updated, Olivia returned to her lab and got back to work. For the most part, she was able to concentrate. The temptation to keep radioing the sergeant was strong, but she resisted. Aside from Evan and Reed, he was the only member of the military she felt comfortable around. If she pissed him off too much he would stop helping her and she'd be forced to hang around the Control Room and try to get information that way.

Much easier to make nice with Stackhouse.

Olivia worked steadily for the afternoon, moving swiftly from one project to another to keep her mind occupied. She was beginning to get good at losing herself in the work and forgetting what was going on around her. But Evan was always on her mind. A constant calming presence over her shoulder.

One thing was for sure, when he got back to the city, Olivia wasn't going to waste anymore time dancing around him. Life was too short to play hard to get. She was going to be open and honest about her feelings. Finally. He just had to come back to her.

* * *

Emma leant over and peered at the tray. "I think it's supposed to be chicken."

Sophie shook her head. "It's too grey. It's definitely veal."

Whatever it was, Olivia wasn't going to eat it. She picked at some fruit instead. Evan still wasn't back. Stupid Sheppard had screwed things up and got himself captured by the Genii…again. Stackhouse's last update hadn't been positive. The leader of the Genii had given Dr Weir fifteen minutes to hand over a Jumper or he'd kill Sheppard.

Olivia glanced at her watch and grimaced. "Well, time's up for the colonel."

Emma and Sophie both lowered their eyes. The mood in the mess hall was definitely a little subdued. Olivia found it weird how Sheppard's absence always seemed to bring everyone down a notch. It was as if everyone always expected him not to return and that the expedition would subsequently fall apart without him.

Olivia wasn't sure if this was the case, but it seemed as if the theory was about to be tested.

"There's no way the Genii would actually kill Sheppard. They know we'd kick their ass for it," Emma said.

"I don't think they're all that scared of us," Olivia contested. "They wouldn't have taken Lorne's team in the first place if they were worried about repercussions."

"I agree," Sophie said. "They seem ready to do anything in order to further their own cause. I do not think they're above killing any of our people to get what they want."

Emma threw up her hands. "Well excuse me for trying to stay positive here!"

Olivia's optimism from earlier in the day had gradually dissipated as the hours ticked by. Dr Weir was between a rock and a hard place now. She couldn't very well arm the Genii with a Jumper. If she met their terms, then every psychopath in the galaxy would start holding Atlantis personnel for ransom.

So Sheppard was dead. And probably Evan too if he was being held in the same place.

"Come on, Liv. Eat your chicken-veal-thing and let's go watch a movie. I've got a few comedies that will cheer you up."

"I'm not in the mood for a movie, Em."

"What are you going to do then? Drive yourself crazy imagining what's going on off-world?"

"Probably," Olivia said with a diffident little shrug.

"You need a distraction. No arguments."

So after dinner, Olivia eventually found herself huddled up on her bed between Emma and Sophie watching the opening credits of The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Normally she liked nothing more than a good comedy, but laughing right now seemed callous. If Evan was still alive out there then he sure as hell wouldn't have a reason to laugh. Why should she be enjoying herself?

The movie had only just started when Stackhouse's voice came through her earpiece. She scrambled off her bed, elbowing and kicking her friends numerous times in her haste to get up.

"Sergeant! Please tell me you have good news."

"The Gate just activated. It's over, Doc, everyone's fine. Even Sheppard."

Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep, steadying breath. "Thank God." She looked over to the girls and gave them a thumbs up. They both started bouncing around excitedly.

"They've all gone to the infirmary to get checked out. But they looked fine to me so it shouldn't take too long."

"Thank you, Sergeant."

"No problem, Doc."

Olivia ran and threw herself back on the bed. "They're alive! Every single one of them!"

"Told you so," Emma said poking her in the ribs.

After almost two days in agony, Olivia felt giddy with anticipation. It felt like forever since she'd seen Evan.

"What are you going to do?" Sophie asked.

"I should go and see him, right?"

"Definitely!" Emma looked her over critically. "_After_ you freshen up. You look like you've gone ten rounds with a Wraith Queen."

Olivia nodded and got back to her feet. "It'll only take me a few minutes. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Thanks for staying with me after dinner. I really did need the company."

Sophie patted her on the cheek. "That's what friends are for, no?"

Olivia said her goodbyes then slipped into her bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror and winced. Actually, she was going to need at least an hour.

* * *

Evan stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He surveyed himself in the mirror and noted that he didn't look too bad considering what he'd just been through. For all anyone knew, he could have just had a bad hangover. He had bags under his eyes from not sleeping and he needed to shave. His only real injury was a bruise that was starting to blossom on his left side due to a kick in the ribs he'd suffered during the ambush on 177.

Carson had done a scan and cleared him of any broken bones. Evan also knew a few more bruises were going to appear on the inside of his elbow. The Genii had taken blood samples from him several times. Some of them had been better at it than others. He had started to feel like a human pin-cushion.

His dog tags hung from his neck again. Carson had handed them back just before he left the infirmary. It was a little creepy that they had been attached to a dead body for a while, but there wasn't any way around it. It'd take too long to have a replacement set sent from Earth. After so many years, Evan barely noticed he was wearing them most of the time. It was only when they hadn't been there for the past few days that he thought about them and felt like he was missing an important piece of himself.

After quickly drying himself, Evan padded back into his room and pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a faded old USAF t-shirt. The clothes the Genii had made him wear had been horribly itchy. It was nice to be back in his own comfortable clothes. It was going to be even nicer to sleep in his own bed. It was definitely preferable to sharing a concrete floor with Coughlin and Reed.

Truth be told, he could have dropped into bed then and there and been asleep in minutes. But he wanted to see Olivia first. He figured he owed her that much. He'd spent a lot of time thinking about her while he was stuck in that cell. He hoped the past two days hadn't been too hard on her.

Evan pulled on a pair of sneakers then secured his radio in his ear. Sheppard had given him the next three days off to recover. Of course, he had protested that he didn't need three whole days, but then Carson had interrupted and helpfully offered to declare him medically unfit for an entire week. Evan had graciously accepted the three days off and kept his mouth shut for the rest of his check-up.

He let himself out of his quarters and headed for the reading room he and Olivia had made their own. Without even radioing her, he knew she would be there waiting for him. And he wasn't disappointed. He could see the lights were on as he approached the room. He paused in the corridor to rearrange his features into what he could only hope was a calm, reassuring look.

Evan entered the room and stopped just inside the door. His eyes found Olivia immediately. She was curled up in her usual armchair wearing a pair of jeans and a Yale sweatshirt that was at least two sizes too big for her. Her hair was down, falling past her shoulders in loose curls. Their eyes met and Evan's stomach clenched.

"Hi," he said awkwardly, wishing that he had come up with something a little more original than that.

"Hi," she replied softly.

"I was going to radio you to let you know I was back but Stackhouse came over and told me you already knew. I figured it was best if I just came to see you. I'm really sorry," he finished lamely.

For a moment, she smiled. He smiled back then her face suddenly crumbled and she dropped her head into her hands. He watched in horror as her shoulders began to shake.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath and crossed the room in a few strides. He had never been able to handle crying. "Olivia, it's okay. I'm fine."

Evan dropped to his knees beside her chair and put his arms around her. He tried to gently pry her hands from her face but she held on tight and cried a little louder. "Please, Liv, stop crying. You're making me feel bad. I don't know what to do here."

Olivia let out a strangled sob and wriggled away from him. She retreated to the other side of the room and turned to him with fat teardrops still rolling down her face. She hiccuped miserably.

Evan closed his eyes briefly. _Jesus Christ_. She might as well rip his heart right out of his chest and be done with it. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

"I hate crying!" she said, swiping at her cheek with her sleeve.

"Well, that makes two of us. So why don't you take a few deep breaths and sit back down. I'll stay over here till you're a little calmer."

Evan saw her brow furrow, which usually meant she was about to argue with him. "I'm all right, really. See, no harm done," he said quickly, spreading his arms to show he was in one piece.

She shook her head, sending her curls whipping around her face. "I thought you were dead, Evan!"

"Well obviously I'm not dead so there's no need to cry anymore."

She lowered her gaze and said something that he couldn't make out. He got to his feet and took a cautious step towards her as if she was a skittish animal he was trying to corner. "Sorry, Liv, I didn't catch that."

"I saw your body bag," she repeated, looking studiously at her feet as tears kept falling.

Evan groaned and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. This was much worse than he could have imagined. He wasn't prepared to deal with anything like this. He was at a complete loss. She wouldn't stop crying and she didn't seem to want to be held or comforted. "I'm so sorry you had to see that. Tell me what I can do to make this better," he said, realising that talking was his only option right now.

"You can stop apologising for a start," she said, her voice thick and croaky. She rubbed at her face with her sleeves. When their eyes met again she looked a little more like her old self. "You're not helping things by apologising for events you had no control over."

"All right, I'll stop apologising if you promise to stop crying."

Olivia took a shaky breath and rolled her neck from side to side. "Just give me another minute. I was really worried about you, you know."

"Yeah, I'm getting that feeling," Evan said with a tentative smile.

Once again, Olivia's face crumbled and once again Evan was horrified. Every time he smiled at her she burst into tears! Before he could say anything, she launched herself at him. At the last second he turned to the side to stop her colliding with his sore ribs. The impact still jarred them painfully.

He gritted his teeth and said, "What did I just say, 'Livia? You're not keeping your promise very well."

She buried her face in his neck and he could feel her tears sliding beneath his collar. "It's happy tears," she mumbled. "I didn't think I'd get to see your smile again."

Evan sighed and wrapped his arms around her. He wanted to argue that any sort of tears made him feel uncomfortable, but he didn't want her running away again. So instead he stayed silent and slipped a hand under her hair to cup her neck while his other arm wrapped around her waist. Her hair smelt like strawberries again. He buried his face in her curls and just breathed deeply for a moment.

They stayed entwined like that for almost two minutes. Evan felt Olivia relax against him and her breathing gradually evened out. He was all but holding her up now and his bruised muscles were aching at the exertion. Slowly, he began to edge them towards the three seater couch. She moaned in protest but he shushed her and pulled her down onto the couch with him.

After initially pushing him away, Olivia now refused to let go of him. When she settled herself on his lap he quickly realised that was a bad idea. Instead he moved backwards to lie down and pulled her along with him so she was wedged between the back of the couch and his body. Her head pillowed naturally on his shoulder and she curled an arm around his middle, thankfully just below his ribcage.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked softly, not sure if she was even totally awake.

"Yes," she replied just as softly. "Keep talking to me. I missed your voice."

"All right. What should I talk about?"

"Tell me what happened to you so I can get it straight in my head. Did the Genii hurt you?"

"Not really," he said, glad she couldn't see him lie to her blatantly like that. "My arm hurts a little where they kept taking blood from me."

"Here?" Olivia asked, running her finger up down the inside of his elbow. "What did they want with your blood?"

Evan swallowed hard and tried to ignore the shiver running through his body as her finger trailed a languid path up and down. "Uh, well, they were trying to come up with their own ATA gene therapy so they could pilot the Jumpers and stuff. Apparently my blood was the best to work with."

"Because you have the gene naturally?"

"That's what Beckett thinks. Either way, I co-operated and let them take as much as they wanted. If Reed and I resisted they threatened to kill Coughlin. He doesn't have the gene so they had no use for him."

Olivia stopped her slow torture and wrapped her arm back around his torso. "Are they both okay?"

"Coughlin was about ready to kill Reed by the end of it. Truthfully, I was on the verge of killing him too. All he did was talk about all the pity sex he was going to get once we got back to Atlantis."

Olivia giggled. "I don't think he'll have a shortage of volunteers."

Evan knew for a fact that there were many volunteers where Reed was concerned. They'd been on Atlantis for almost a year and he was already up to double digits. Not that Evan could really blame the kid. Being on a remote base with so many available civilian women was a rare situation. In fact, if Evan was still in his twenties he'd probably be tempted to do the exact same thing. But he was too old to be sowing his wild oats around the city now.

"Evan?"

"Mmm."

"Did you miss me?"

"Of course I did." He placed a light kiss on the top of her head. "We should get back to our quarters before it gets too late."

"No no," she said quickly, desperately. "Keep talking please. Tell me how you escaped."

"Five more minutes then," Evan said firmly. "I think we could both use a good night's sleep."

"Five minutes," she agreed, nuzzling her face into his neck.

Evan launched into the story of how Sheppard and the strike team had shown up and been thrown into the cell alongside them. He was three minutes into it when he realised she had fallen asleep. It seemed pointless to wake her now. He might as well try and get some sleep too. The lamps all turned off before he could even finish forming the thought. His link to the city had been particularly strong ever since he got back. It was like Atlantis had missed him too.

This thought was foremost in Evan's mind as he drifted off to sleep.

Some time later, he was woken by a sharp pain in his side. A lamp flared back to life and Evan glanced down to where Olivia was squeezing him in her sleep. He noted that at some point she had also thrown her leg over his hips. Alarmingly, his own hand was grasping her thigh tightly. He let go quickly then adjusted her arm so it was across the top of his chest and not around the bottom of his ribcage.

Evan glanced at his watch and guessed they had been asleep like that for three hours or so. The painkillers he'd been given had definitely worn off now. He ached all over. Olivia twitched in her sleep, obviously in the middle of some sort of dream or nightmare. He glanced at her face. Probably a nightmare. Her face was contorted into a frown. Her eyelashes looked impossibly long and dark, curved delicately against her too-pale skin.

"Olivia?" he whispered, brushing her hair back from her face. "Wake up."

She didn't stir. The sound of his voice at least seemed to settle her a little. The frown vanished and she appeared to fall into a serene slumber. Evan was losing feeling in the arm she was lying on. He clenched and unclenched his fist to get some blood flow back. The movement made her press even tighter against his side.

The soft swell of her breasts against him felt way too good. It'd been over a year since he'd had sex and his body was letting him know it. It certainly wasn't helping that she looked good in jeans. Even the baggy sweater wasn't hiding anything because he'd already memorised the soft curves beneath it. He'd never been one for skin and bones or hard muscle.

Evan resisted the temptation to let his hand slide down to her backside. Groping a sleeping woman was all kinds of perverted. He just stroked her hair instead. Unsurprisingly, his traitorous body was reacting to having her wrapped around him. Uncontrollable erections at fifteen were embarrassing enough. At thirty-five they were downright mortifying. They'd become a regular occurrence since Olivia had arrived. It'd definitely been too long since he'd had sex.

Somehow he didn't think Olivia would mind very much if he were to wake her up right now and roll her onto her back and do everything to her that he'd been imagining for the last few months. But something wasn't feeling right anymore. Evan was now realising what it was. Her reaction to this whole situation had been too confronting for him.

The whole thing had reminded him why he'd made the decision not to date anyone on Atlantis. He couldn't bear to leave anyone behind. It was bad enough that his mother, sister and nephews would have to deal with the loss if he was killed in the line of duty. There was no way he wanted to knowingly drag anyone else through that.

But Evan had thought Olivia was a little stronger than she obviously was. Now that he'd seen her have a mini-breakdown he wasn't sure he could keep going off-world knowing she was worrying herself sick about him the whole time. He wasn't ready to give up his job yet either. Not while he was still sharp, fit and capable of taking out Wraith.

Olivia was supposed to joke around about him not being dead, not burst into tears. Somewhere along the way Evan had misjudged her. She clearly wasn't cut out to have a relationship with anyone in the military. The reality was painful for him, but it reaffirmed his theory that he was better off alone.

Olivia chose that moment to stir in his arms. She moaned and stretched as best she could in the tight space. "Evan?"

"Yeah, I'm awake."

"Was I asleep for long?"

"We both fell asleep for about three hours. It's almost midnight. Time to go back to our quarters before we end up here all night."

"Five more minutes," she pleaded, her mouth too close to his ear.

"You said the same thing three hours ago," he pointed out.

Olivia's hand drifted to the middle of his chest. "You got your tags back," she noted, running her fingers along the line of the chain.

"Yeah. Look, Olivia, let's get going now that we're both awake."

"I've only ever seen you clean shaven," she said, apparently opting to just ignore him now. She tilted her head and ran the tip of her nose along his jaw line.

"I figured I could get away with not shaving just this once. I'll walk you back to your room, okay," Evan said, his voice not sounding half as firm as he'd hoped it would.

When Olivia dragged her wet, parted lips along the underside of his jaw he actually jerked in surprise.

"Olivia…"

"It's okay. I actually like the stubble. It tickles a bit."

Her lips found the jumping pulse point in his throat next and he shuddered a little. She'd stopped fingering his dog tags a while ago and her hand was now beneath his shirt, splayed out across his clenched stomach. When she made to slide her hand beneath the waistband of his pants, he finally came to his senses.

"Olivia, stop," he snapped, catching hold of her wayward hand and drawing back from her lips.

"What's wrong?"

"We can't do this right now. It's a bad idea." Evan slipped out from under her and rolled off the couch and to his feet. His ribs throbbed and he clutched at them automatically.

Olivia jumped to her feet. "I thought you said you weren't hurt!"

"It's just a knock to my ribs. I'll survive."

"It's clearly more than just a knock!"

Evan straightened up with considerable effort. "Don't freak out about it okay. Nothing's broken. I've had much worse happen to me."

She crossed her arms and cocked her head at him. "Oh, that's really comforting, Evan. Thank you."

"I just mean that you can't get upset over every bump and bruise I get. It's not worth worrying about."

Tears sprang to her eyes and she dropped her gaze. "You could have at least told me. I wouldn't have been on top of you like that if I'd known you were injured."

Evan quickly pulled her into a hug. "Don't start crying again. I thought we were done with that. All that matters is I'm back now and there's no permanent damage done."

"When you were missing I told myself that I wouldn't waste anymore time if you got back safely."

Evan's jaw tightened. He'd told himself the same thing while he was being held. There's nothing like the threat of dying to make you re-evaluate your entire life. Back in the safety of Atlantis, things felt different. He no longer wanted to bring Olivia into the emotional roller-coaster that was his life. He wanted to shield her from it. It wasn't going to be pleasant to keep her at arm's length, but he had to do it.

"It's just bad timing right now. We're both tired and emotional. Let's agree to give it a few days and see what happens then. Maybe your feelings will change."

"They won't change," she said, the stubbornness in her voice making him smile into her hair.

"Well I can't know that for sure. I'd hate to lose your friendship over some stupid mistake. So let's wait till things calm down a little."

"But I'm tired of waiting, Evan."

"We've lasted seven months. A few more days won't make much of a difference now. Besides," he said, pulling back so that he could look her in the eye, "if we're going to do this then I'd like to be one hundred percent. My ribs would limit me a bit right now."

Realisation hit her slowly. She smiled sweetly and patted his chest. "Good point. Let's wait a little longer."

Evan finally relaxed. She was looking and sounding more like herself now. Her eyes were still bloodshot and red-rimmed from all the crying, but her smile was genuine. He cupped her face in his hands and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I knew I'd be able to talk you around that way. Besides, there's no reason to rush. We've got all the time in the world."

Olivia's smile fell away and she brought her hands up to cover his. "Evan, I need to talk to you about something."

"It's gonna have to wait," he said. "I'm too tired right now. I've had less than six hours sleep in the last two days."

She bit her lip, looking uncertain for a moment. "All right. It can wait," she finally relented. "I'm tired too. I want to just sleep and forget these last few days ever happened."

Evan brought his face to hers so that they were almost nose to nose. "Don't worry, I'm going to make sure you never have to go through anything like that ever again, Olivia."


	11. Spontaneously combust

A/N: Thanks JodyMarie, Dude, Guest and Cookie Creed! This chapter was pretty fun to write. Writing and reading Atlantis down-time is always a nice change. It's set a month after the last one and roughly lines up with the beginning of 'Michael'. Enjoy.

I don't want to be that needy writer who begs for reviews, but here goes! I could really use the encouragement right now. My writing has slowed considerably due to a few RL things. My work hours have increased and I'm pregnant (Yay! My first!). That combination is draining my energy and writing has taken a back seat. I know from experience that I'm spurred to write more after receiving reviews. So if you're reading and enjoying and you appreciate the weekly updates, please let me know!

* * *

One day, Olivia began to hate Evan Lorne just a little bit.

The last month had been nothing short of humiliating for her. Following the incident with the Genii, Evan had inexplicably started avoiding her. During the first week, she had accepted his excuses with good grace and a sympathetic smile. When more of the same followed the next week, she began to get suspicious. No single person could really be that busy. Even the President couldn't possibly attend as many meetings as Evan claimed to be tied up with.

If he wasn't meeting with Dr Weir, Colonel Sheppard or Colonel Caldwell, it was with his own team or the new recruits. Evan had even used a meeting with McKay as an excuse not to spend time with her.

Olivia got the hint after that. He wanted nothing to do with her.

So, eventually she had stopped trying to get time with him. If he wanted to see her then she figured he could be the one to organise a quiet evening for the two of them. But that never happened. Now, after two weeks of silence, Olivia was seething.

She felt her anger was justified, but she hadn't confronted him about it. Olivia was too embarrassed. The night he escaped from the Genii, she had all but thrown herself at him. The initial gentle rejection had been a little perplexing, but she had eventually seen the logic behind his reason for stopping her. The passive-aggressive rejection that followed was like a blow to the stomach for her.

Olivia had never put herself out on such a proverbial limb. She had always preferred to let men come to her. But Evan had become more and more blatant with his flirting till she no longer considered rejection as an outcome. Frankly, all she had envisioned was hot, sweaty sex. Her mind hadn't even entertained the idea that somehow he didn't actually want her.

It seemed odd given his past behaviour but there was no other explanation. Olivia had all but offered herself up on a platter and Evan had been uninterested. It was utterly, utterly humiliating. Now all she wanted to do was survive her last four months on Atlantis and retreat back to the SGC where she could lose herself in her work and eventually die alone in an apartment full of cats.

Just when she seemed ready to forget about Evan, he went and did something annoying. Like that very morning. She had started her work day by checking her emails and had found a short one from him. Apparently, she was going off-world in two weeks and he was informing her of the scheduled briefing. He couldn't even bring himself to talk to her for five minutes. To add insult to injury, he had addressed it to Dr Meyers and had signed off with Major Lorne

As if that wasn't bad enough, a few minutes ago he had all but run from the mess hall to avoid her. Olivia had entered with Emma and gone to grab some lunch. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Evan stand up and dispose of the uneaten food on his tray and leave the room as if it had suddenly caught fire.

"What did that salad ever do to you?"

Olivia looked over at Emma. "Huh?"

"You're massacring your lunch, love," Emma replied, nodding towards her tray.

Olivia followed her gaze and noticed that she had been stabbing at her salad. It was all but shredded now. Sighing, she dropped her fork and pushed the tray aside. "How did things get so screwed up?"

"I told you! Give me five minutes alone with him and I'll sort this out for you. I'll even knock some sense into him if I have to."

Olivia smiled a little morbidly as she imagined her friend knocking some sense into Evan. "No, Emma. It won't help matters any. I already know the problem. He doesn't want me, plain and simple."

"Then he's an idiot and you shouldn't waste anymore time on him. Plenty of other fish in the sea," Emma said firmly.

"We've been through this. I'm not here to…to go fishing, Em. I have work to do. In fact, this past month has been the most productive I've had since I arrived."

Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm not telling you to find your third husband. Just a little fling. It won't kill you. Pick one of the military guys and you'll really piss off Lorne. Two birds with one stone!"

"I'm not trying to piss him off. I want to forget about him completely."

"And what better way to do that than getting down and dirty with another man?"

Olivia opened her mouth to refute, but she couldn't think of anything to say. Good Lord. Emma's argument was starting to make sense to her. Just as she began to contemplate the merits of a casual fling, a distraction entered the mess hall.

"Ugh. It's him. I mean _it_," Olivia hissed quietly.

"Michael Kenmore," Emma reminded her gently. "Don't react to him, remember. Eat your food and keep talking to me."

Olivia remembered what she was supposed to do. Didn't mean her body was going to cooperate with her brain. She was already sitting on the edge of her seat with her back and shoulders rigid. Having a Wraith in the city was such a stupid idea. She had read and re-read the email Dr Weir had sent out to everyone. This was the first time she had been in the same room as Michael and everything she had been told not to do had gone out the window.

A tray clattered onto the table beside Olivia and she jumped in surprise. She looked over to see Lt Reed taking a seat beside her. He was shaking his head at her. "Stop staring at him. You're being so obvious," he said under his breath.

Olivia took one last look at Michael, just to reassure herself that he hadn't reverted back to the monster he really was. "Well, I'm sorry if I can't bring myself to go along with this farce. He shouldn't even be here. The retrovirus clearly worked so we should be able to take him up in the Daedalus and throw him out of an airlock now."

Reed whistled under his breath. "Wow. Lorne mentioned you have Wraith issues."

Emma pointed her fork threateningly at him. "If you're going to sit at this table then you aren't allowed to bring up Lorne, all right."

"Emma, it's fine," Olivia cut in quickly.

She grabbed her tray and made a show of eating her salad. She could feel Reed's eyes boring a hole in the side of her head. She wanted to get up and go back to her lab already, but that seemed unfair. It wasn't Reed's fault that Evan was an ass. Reed was always nice to her and had occasionally joined her at meal times since their off-world adventure with Stackhouse and Coughlin.

"Speaking of Lorne," Reed said, obviously unfazed by Emma's sharp warning. "What did you do to him, Liv? He's been a fucking nightmare lately."

"Hey! Shut it, Reed," Emma snapped. "She didn't do a thing to him. This is all his own fault."

Olivia sighed and turned to meet Reed's gaze. "Let's just say that whatever you imagined you saw between Lorne and I was never actually there and leave it at that. All right?"

Reed shrugged. "Whatever. I know what I saw though. If Lorne did something to mess things up then I could try to have a word to him."

Olivia shook her head immediately. "I'd prefer it if everyone stayed out of our business. _Everyone_," she said emphatically, throwing Emma a meaningful look. "I'm done with Major Lorne. End of story."

Olivia went back to eating and the other two did the same after a moment's hesitation. She and Evan weren't in high school anymore. If she wanted to confront Evan, she would talk to him all by herself. And surely he was adult enough to do the same. No one needed to act as an intermediary.

"I actually came to share my good news with you lovely ladies," Reed said, changing topics thankfully. "Dr Weir and Colonel Sheppard have both agreed that my birthday party can go ahead later this week."

Olivia groaned. She had forgotten all about Reed's twenty-fifth birthday. "They actually gave you permission to have a party in Atlantis?"

"Yep. I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be. They agreed that it would be good for morale to have a little celebration."

"Little celebration?" Emma repeated. "I doubt your birthday party will be a little celebration. You know just about everyone in the city, Reed."

"And you've slept with half the women," Olivia added lightly.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at her.

"So there'll be alcohol at this party?" Emma asked.

Reed nodded. "Lots and lots of it. I've been stockpiling it for this very occasion. I have a few admirers on the Daedalus. They've been smuggling it back for me."

Olivia rolled her eyes. He was persuasive all right. His particular form of persuasion would probably get him a venereal disease one day. "Are you inviting the Wraith too?"

"Don't say that word. The whole base is invited so that means Kenmore as well. Everyone seems to think it will be good for him to be at a social gathering."

"Then I'm definitely not going," Olivia said, folding her arms defiantly.

* * *

"Beer?"

Olivia snatched the bottle from Emma's hand. How did she keep getting herself into these stupid situations? She already had a feeling that the night was going to end badly. It was going to be the poker night all over again. Except this time there were men thrown into the mix. It was going to be _worse_ than the poker night.

She glanced at her watch and was horrified to see she'd only been there for two hours. It felt like a lifetime since she had first entered the modified mess hall with Emma and Jessica. The party was now in full swing and all around her people were starting to pair off.

Even Jessica, brutally shy and socially awkward, had found company with one of the computer technicians. Olivia and Emma now sat alone at a table surveying the festivities.

"Having fun?" Emma asked, raising her voice above the music blaring from a stereo rigged up in the corner.

"Worst party ever!" Olivia shouted back.

"That does it, you're officially the most boring person in the galaxy!"

Olivia slumped back in her chair and gulped down half of her beer. She still thought it tasted awful, but the slight buzz it provided was welcome. A chance to feel numb for a while was suddenly very appealing.

"Lorne's not here," Emma noted.

"I thought we weren't going to talk about him ever again?"

"Relax, I'm just saying! Odd that he wouldn't come to his team mate's party. Even Sheppard's here." Emma nudged her and nodded towards where Sheppard was standing with Teyla and Dr Beckett. "Speaking of Sheppard, did you check out his ass in those jeans?"

"No!"

"Oh my God. You really are the most depressing person ever. Why are you even here?"

Olivia shrugged. "Reed played the I-saved-your-life-that-time card. I couldn't say no."

Emma snorted. "Right. And the prospect of spying on Lorne didn't motivate you at all."

"There's that name again!"

"Are you trying to tell me you aren't curious to see whether or not he'd hook up with someone?"

"I don't care if Lorne hooks up with someone. He can do what he wants."

"And what about you?" Emma demanded. "Are you just going to be a miserable bitch forever because he broke your heart. Look around! The alcohol's flowing freely and women are outnumbered at least two to one. You can have your pick of men right now!"

Olivia looked around with fresh eyes. She hadn't really bothered to pay much attention to any other men on Atlantis. Of course, she knew who the good-looking ones were, but she had never thought about which one she'd like to sleep with given the choice. She'd stupidly put all her eggs in the Evan basket.

"Aha!" Emma said and gave her a shove. "You're thinking about it!"

"I am not! I'm wondering how much longer I'm obliged to stay!"

"Oh tell me you aren't leaving yet, Doc."

Olivia looked up into Reed's hooded eyes. He held out a bottle of tequila and a shot glass. She grimaced and shook her head. "No way. I'm too old for tequila."

"I'll have one!"

"Enjoy." Reed handed the bottle and glass over to Emma and ruffled Olivia's hair. "You can't leave yet. I haven't even cut my birthday cake!"

Olivia smoothed her hair back down quickly. "Someone actually went to the trouble of making you a cake?"

"I'm persuasive, remember." Reed winked at the both of them then went off to talk to the people at the next table.

"I really don't think you should have a whole bottle of tequila to yourself," Olivia said, eyeing her friend worriedly. "You're a year older than me so you're _definitely_ too old for tequila."

"Don't worry!" Emma said cheerfully then tossed back a shot. "I'm going to go and share it. Do you think they had body shots back on Sateda?"

Olivia dropped her head into her hands. It was like Atlantis Gone Wild. No wonder Sophie had opted to skip the party. By the time Olivia looked up again, Emma was marching purposefully across the room in search of a certain ex-Runner.

For a moment, Olivia contemplated what she should do. Reed seemed drunk enough that he wouldn't notice if she left and Emma was well on her way to finding a companion for the night. No one would care if she disappeared.

Still. There really were a lot of men on Atlantis. Good-looking men, specifically. Olivia narrowed her eyes and took a look around. Would it really be so bad if she went with the flow? She had gone to a lot of effort to tame her curls into smooth tendrils and do her make-up with more attention than usual. She was even wearing a pretty pink blouse and her favourite jeans that somehow made her ass look like it was defying gravity rather than succumbing to it.

Seemed a pity to waste all that by going back to her room early. Another half hour, she decided. Just to see what happened. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and sipped her beer slowly.

An hour later, Olivia was on her third beer and not a single person, male or female, had approached her. Her neck was sore from flicking her hair around. She had even done a lap of the room to let her jeans work their magic. Big fat zero.

There were men everywhere! The scenario was devastating. On a base where women were clearly outnumbered, she couldn't even get a man to come over and talk to her. A few looked at her speculatively, but none came within three feet of the table. Embarrassment was beginning to take root in the pit of Olivia's stomach. Evan definitely didn't want her and apparently no one else in the city did either.

Evan! Olivia snapped upright in her chair. Of course! Everyone probably still thought they were a couple. No man on the base was going to approach a woman who was rumoured to be dating the XO. It made perfect sense now.

Short of getting up on the table and making an announcement, Olivia had no idea how to set the record straight with everyone. Evan had really screwed her over. There was no point hanging around since she was evidently going to be treated like a leper for the whole night. Her head was sufficiently numb now that she'd be able to have a peaceful night's sleep. Just half a beer to go and she'd be on her way.

Except Olivia had forgotten one thing. There was one person on Atlantis who didn't know about her and Evan.

Lt Michael Kenmore.

Olivia's heart began to race as she spotted him approach her table. Her hand clutched her bottle so hard that her knuckles turned white and she was surprised it didn't shatter. She was going to have a panic attack or faint or something. She had hoped to pass her time in the Pegasus Galaxy without ever being within arm's reach of a Wraith. Now one was smiling at her and gesturing towards the chair across from her.

"Hello. Do you mind if I sit here? You look like you could use some company."

Olivia completely froze. The email has said everyone should make him feel like a part of the expedition. Seemed easy enough in theory. But right now her voice had deserted her. So she merely nodded and gave what she knew would be a sickly, unconvincing smile.

"Are you all right?" he asked, brow creasing in concern.

He was getting suspicious. Olivia gave a little cough and held up her beer. "Had too many of these," she squeaked.

"Oh. Well, I hope you don't mind me coming over to talk to you. It's just that everyone's in groups and I don't remember who anyone is and this party is a little overwhelming," he said quickly.

"It's fine." Olivia winced at the sound of her voice. She was such a bad actress. She'd only ever been allowed to play a background tree or open the curtains at her school plays. If she didn't come up with an escape plan she would likely blow the whole operation single-handedly.

"I'm sorry, but do we know each other at all? I'm still having trouble remembering people."

Olivia shook her head. "We don't know each other well. I'm a scientist," she offered as explanation. "We've never had a reason to speak to each other."

"In that case," he said, extending his hand across the table, "my name's Michael. Pleased to meet you."

Olivia swallowed thickly and stared at his hand. There was no way she could touch it. That was how he had sucked the life from thousands of innocent people over his long lifetime. Michael frowned at her again. Olivia vaguely thought about pretending to be about to vomit, which wasn't that far from the truth anyway.

Before she could launch into her amateur theatrics, a deep voice spoke over her shoulder. "Here, I got you another drink like you wanted."

A beer was unceremoniously dumped on the table in front of her. Olivia turned to see Ronon Dex looming over her.

"Th-thank you," she stammered.

"No problem," Ronon replied gruffly and dropped into the chair beside her.

Olivia eyes whipped back and forth between Ronon and Michael. If looks could kill…

"Sorry. I didn't realise she was here with someone," Michael eventually said. "She was sitting alone for such a long time."

"Well she's not alone now."

Michael took the far-from-subtle hint and pushed back from the table. "Sorry to have bothered you."

Olivia's face broke into a relieved smile. "It's okay," she said, finally managing to sound convincing.

Michael left and Olivia took a deep breath. That had been thoroughly unnerving for her. She had no idea how Sophie had managed to spend so much time with him without being creeped out constantly.

Ronon still sat beside her, silent, brooding and huge. She turned to him and said, "Thank you for that."

"No problem," he grunted. "Can I have my drink back?"

Olivia slid the bottle towards him and sipped at her own beer. "Say, did a loud little brunette try to get you to drink a shot of alcohol from her cleavage?"

"What?"

"Never mind."

"What was that all about, Ronon?"

This time, Olivia recognised Sheppard's voice over her shoulder without having to look. He sounded angry. She turned around and almost did a spit-take. Where the hell had he come from? Evan was standing silently beside his CO, looking from her to Ronon and back again.

"Your buddy Michael was bothering this woman," Ronon answered.

"Didn't look that way to me," Sheppard said, folding his arms and glaring down at the pair of them.

"It looked like Michael was trying to introduce himself and Dr Meyers here was about to hyperventilate," Evan added.

Olivia's blood boiled. She wanted to snap off a witty retort, but apparently she'd had too many beers. The best she could come up with was: "I'll have you know I haven't hyperventilated in years."

Sheppard held up a hand. "Whatever. Both of you have to learn to play nice with Michael or everything will have been a waste of time."

"He shouldn't even be in the city, let alone attending a party with us. I think this whole thing is a bad idea," Ronon said.

Olivia grinned and clinked her beer bottle with his. "Then congratulations are in order because you're now officially the smartest man in Atlantis. Someone better let McKay know."

"Don't encourage him," Evan scolded. "You might have Wraith-issues, Doctor, but everyone is expected to play along. Regardless of whether they think they know better."

Olivia pushed back from the table so abruptly that she almost hit Sheppard in the crotch with the back of her chair. "I'm terribly sorry to let the team down, Major. Shall I drop and give you twenty?"

"Lorne's just doing his job. The attitude's unnecessary," Sheppard said mildly.

"It's okay, sir. I think she's had a bit too much to drink."

Olivia glared at Evan. "That may be so, but I still haven't had nearly enough to deal with you right now, Major. Get out of my way."

Evan crossed his arms but didn't step aside to let her pass. "You should call it a night. I'll get someone to walk you back to your room."

"Good idea. I was just thinking that this party had become too crowded. D'you think Billick would mind escorting me back to my room?"

Olivia knew it was a low-blow as soon as the words were out of her mouth. Alcohol had always made her lose the ability to think before she spoke. Evan returned her glare with full-force and said, "Now you're pushing it, Olivia."

"Get out my way," she repeated, lifting her chin rebelliously.

"Look," Sheppard interrupted loudly, "I don't even want to know what's going on between you two-"

"Nothing!" Olivia and Evan in unison.

"Yeah right. Clearly nothing." Sheppard held up a finger in Olivia's face. "I don't really care. All I need is your assurance that you aren't going to screw this up. A lot of people spent a lot of time working on this project."

"Yes, sir," Olivia said. She went to raise her arm but Evan caught her wrist.

"Don't even think about saluting."

"I wasn't going to! Let go!"

"Yes you were. You can't help but be obnoxious."

"Idiot," Olivia hissed.

Sheppard stepped between them quickly. "Seriously! Do I have to hose you two down?"

"No, sir," Evan said.

"Good." Sheppard peered over Olivia's shoulder and scowled. "God damn it. Where'd Ronon go now? He better not be hassling Michael again."

Sheppard stalked off and Olivia stood eye to eye with Evan for a heartbeat. He opened his mouth to say something, but she'd had enough by that point. She turned sharply on her heel and walked away. She made for the door, elbowing her way through the milling bodies. All she wanted to do was crawl into bed and stay there for the next four months.

Olivia had almost made it to the exit when the music suddenly shut off and the room fell silent. She stopped and turned around to see Reed standing in the middle of one of the tables. Everyone started singing Happy Birthday and Olivia joined in half-heartedly.

"Thanks for coming, everyone!" Reed shouted once the singing was over. "Come and get some cake! There's plenty to go around!"

Ooh. Cake would make the night somewhat salvageable. Olivia made her way over to Reed's table quickly and snatched up a plate with a large slice on it. It looked like chocolate mud cake which lifted her spirits a little. Clutching her prize, she slunk off to sit at an empty table.

She ate slowly, savouring the taste as long as she could. It'd been too long since she'd had fresh cake. Everyone else appeared to be enjoying it as well. Jessica and Emma were still nowhere to be seen. They'd probably already left to enjoy the adult portion of the evening. After a quick scan of the crowd, Olivia spotted Evan eating cake at a table with Coughlin and his girlfriend Dr Cole.

Olivia's eyes narrowed. How dare he sit there and enjoy himself after he'd just gone out of his way to humiliate her in front of Sheppard and Ronon.

"Good party, isn't it?"

Olivia jumped. She was really going to have to work on being more aware of her surroundings. Someone had sat down quietly next to her while she had been busy staring daggers across the room. She was a little surprised to see it was the botanist David Parrish. She had spoken to him once or twice in passing. He was well-known for being very focussed on his work and Olivia didn't think a big party would be his style.

"It's a great party. I'm having a ball," she replied.

The sarcasm completely passed him by and he smiled brightly. "And isn't the cake brilliant?"

"Yeah, the cake is pretty brilliant," Olivia admitted.

"Theobroma cacao."

"Excuse me?"

"That's the tree we get the seeds from that make chocolate," Parrish explained, looking pleased to have turned the conversation to botany so quickly.

"Oh. Okay."

"Did you know the seed pods grow right out the trunk? Amazing!"

"No, I did not know that." Olivia craned her neck to get a look at Evan again. Coughlin and Dr Cole were now alone at the table. Parrish had distracted her and she'd missed seeing where Evan went.

"The harvesting process is fascinating. The trees are too fragile to climb, you see."

"Yeah? Wow," Olivia said, not even bothering to fake enthusiasm. He probably wouldn't notice either way.

It was with wry amusement that she realised her earlier prediction had played out. This was much worse than the poker night. She'd been ditched by her friends, chastised by Evan, and despite being in a room full of drunk men, she'd only managed to attract a Wraith and Dr Parrish. Talk about a dent to the ego.

Parrish was going on about fermenting or something or other. Time to get out of there. Olivia shoved the rest of her cake into her mouth just as a warm body pressed up against her back. The aftershave was a dead give away. Her eyes widened and she wished she didn't currently have a mouth full of sticky mud cake.

Evan brought his mouth down to her ear. "You. Corridor. Now."

Olivia began to chew furiously. Parrish stopped in the middle of his lecture. "Oh! Hello, Major. I didn't realise you knew Dr Meyers."

Honestly. He really didn't pay attention to anything but plants.

"Hi, Doc. Yeah, I'm just gonna borrow her for a minute then you can have her straight back."

Evan's fingers closed around her upper arm and Olivia briefly contemplated pulling away from him. Then she took one look at Parrish's eager, hopeful face and she got to her feet slowly. Her mouth was still full so she offered him a strained smile and let Evan draw her away from the table.

Olivia swallowed the rest of her cake just as they made it out into the corridor. She immediately wrenched her arm away from Evan. "Get off me. I'm not going anywhere with you."

"We need to talk about this. There's a balcony at the end of this hallway."

"I'm not one of your subordinates. I don't have to do as you say." Olivia folded her arms and planted her feet firmly in place. Okay. So she may have stomped her feet petulantly. Same difference.

Evan pinched the bridge of his nose and Olivia found the familiar gesture oddly comforting. "Why do you have to make everything so difficult? I'm trying to rescue whatever's left of our friendship. You don't think that's worth doing?"

Olivia's scowl faltered. Their friendship meant more to her than anything else between them. She couldn't imagine things ever being the same again, but if something could be salvaged from this disaster then it was worth a try.

"Fine. Lead the way."

Evan turned and walked off. Olivia trailed sulkily behind. He looked way too good. He was wearing jeans that hugged his ass just enough and the blue-grey button-up shirt seemed made to match his eyes. Any other woman in that room would have killed to leave the party with him. Probably a few of the men too, if the rumours were to be believed.

Out on the balcony, Olivia stepped up to the railing and looked out over the ocean. Evan stood silently beside her doing the same. Then he suddenly turned on her. "Parrish? Really, Olivia?"

She turned to meet his eyes challengingly. "What's wrong with Parrish?"

"He's boring as hell for a start."

"I happen to find him fascinating," Olivia replied airily. "I bet _you_ didn't know that chocolate grows on the trunk of a tree that you can't climb."

"What are you talking about? Exactly how much have you had to drink?" Evan asked, eyeing her with concern.

"Not that much. Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Look, I don't know if you're serious about Parrish, but if your intention was just to make me jealous then you succeeded, okay."

Olivia laughed sharply. "Of course! There it is. You don't want me but no one else can have me. You're such a…a man!"

Evan held up his hand before she could think of a proper insult to throw at him. "Whoa, whoa. When did I ever say I didn't want you?"

"You made it pretty clear with your actions. You could have had me and you know it. Instead, all you've done is avoid me and be rude to me for the past month. Sorry but those are not the actions of someone who wants someone else."

Evan put his hand over his eyes and shook his head. "I can't believe it. You don't get it."

"Get what?" she demanded. "What exactly am I missing, Evan? You didn't explain anything to me. You could have been a man about it and let me down gently, instead you broke off all contact without telling me what I did to make you hate me."

"I'm sorry, Liv. I've handled all of this badly. I don't hate you at all," he said softly, stepping closer so that there was barely an inch between them.

Olivia shivered. His breath smelled like chocolate. She didn't stand a chance. "But, well, you did, uh, call me obnoxious."

"And you called me an idiot," he pointed out

"That's because you are an idiot."

"Yeah, I'm beginning to see that now. I thought you would have understood what I was trying to do."

"I still don't have a clue what's going on," she said desperately. "What were you trying to do?"

"Protect you!" Evan answered.

"Protect me from what?"

"From me."

Olivia threw up her hands and turned her eyes skyward. "From you. Okay. Well, great. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I'm going back to my room now."

Evan caught hold of her wrist before she could take more than half a step towards the door. He yanked her back so hard that her chest collided with his. The air was knocked from her lungs with a light oomph. His hands came up to cup her cheeks. Before she knew what was happening, his lips met hers in a bruising, insistent kiss.

Olivia froze. Evan Lorne was kissing the life out of her. And he tasted like chocolate. His tongue brush along her lips and they opened automatically. When his tongue actually slipped into her mouth she groaned and brought her hands up to grasp his forearms. It was like a dam had burst. He was pouring everything into the kiss, everything pent up from months and months of frustration. Just when Olivia thought she was going to pass out from lack of oxygen, Evan pulled back enough to rest his forehead against hers.

"Does that clear things up?" he asked huskily.

A few words came straight to mind (namely: God, oh, wow and fuck) but she wasn't any less confused. In fact, she was more confused than ever before. Admittedly, it had been a while for her, but she didn't remember any of her other first kisses being so…carnal. What had stopped him doing that a month ago?

"Evan," she managed to whimper.

"Seeing you so upset that night was a real wake-up call. I don't want you crying over me like that again."

Things began to slowly click into place. Evan was stroking her cheek with his thumb, which was ridiculously distracting. She gently pulled his hands away from her face. "That's what this is about? That stupid night when I couldn't stop crying?"

"I wasn't expecting a reaction like that."

"Cut me some freaking slack! I was told you were dead and your body bag was carried past me! The situation was pretty devastating."

"I don't want to leave anyone behind to mourn me," Evan said, taking half a step back.

Olivia grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him towards her again. "It's a little late for that. I'm going to cry a lot if you die. That's never going to change no matter how much you ignore me and push me away. So all you have to do is not get yourself killed and everything will be fine. Simple?"

"You and I both know it happens…"

"Just shut up, all right!"

Olivia looped her arms around his neck and pulled him down for another soul-searing kiss. She felt him smile against her mouth and wrap his arms around her waist. This time she melted against him and threaded her fingers lazily through his hair. One of his hands slid down to grasp her bottom and pull her flush against him. It was Olivia's turn to smile as she felt the proof that he really did want her.

Evan was a great kisser. Even better than she had imagined, which seemed impossible. Olivia's whole body was tingling. She felt like she was going to spontaneously combust and melt into a puddle all at the same time.

By the time Evan tore his lips away, Olivia was well and truly smitten. He held her cheek to cheek with a hand fisted in her hair. "We should have done that eight months ago," he said, breathing heavily in her ear.

"Definitely," she agreed just as breathlessly. "Can we do it some more right now?"

Evan laughed and Olivia felt it rumble through her own chest. "Shouldn't you be getting back to Parrish?"

"Parrish who?"

* * *

Olivia was woken up at six the next morning by someone at her door. Groaning, she rolled out of bed. The day after Reed's birthday had been designated an unofficial rest day. People could work, but it was assumed that no one would be in a fit state to get anything done

So who in their right mind would be up at this hour?

Seemed like something Evan would do. Olivia stopped in the middle of her room and paused to smooth her hair back. Then she realised she was wearing her fluffy bunny pyjamas so it probably didn't matter what her hair looked like. She thought her door open when she was a few steps from it.

"Bonjour, ma cherie!" Sophie said cheerfully once the door slid open all the way.

"What are you doing here this early?" Olivia asked, squinting at her friend menacingly.

"I came to wake you up, of course! Something is about to happen that I know you will want to see. Come, come. It's about to start."

"What's going on? I'm in my pyjamas, Soph."

"Don't worry, we don't have to go far. Your doorway is fine."

Olivia tutted and tugged her blanket off her bed. She wrapped it around herself and stepped into the corridor with Sophie. "What's worth getting up at six in the morning for?" she asked.

"You will see soon," Sophie said.

Olivia looked at the floor and noticed a tray from the mess hall that had about six coffee mugs on it. Sophie settled cross-legged beside it. Olivia swiped her hand over the glowing panel to close her door and claimed her own spot on the ground. She leant back against her door and snatched up a coffee mug.

"Why are we sitting in the middle of the corridor like this?"

Sophie grinned cheekily. "I believe you Americans refer to it as the walk of shame."

Olivia sat up straighter, suddenly wide awake. "Oh! The Atlantis walk of shame! This I have to see."

"I have witnessed a few in my time."

"You've never done a walk of shame here?"

"I have not done a walk of shame anywhere. French women are ashamed of nothing," Sophie replied sternly. "Besides, there is no one in the city I wish to sleep with."

Olivia nodded and sipped at her coffee. She knew about Sophie's bad experience over a year ago. She had just started to date a scientist named Peter Grodin when there was a terrible accident. She hadn't dated anyone since. It was a shame because she was only twenty-nine and too lovely to be alone forever. Olivia wouldn't be around to see it, but she hoped Sophie would move on one day.

"Did you have a good night?" Sophie asked.

"It turned out pretty well actually."

Pretty well was a bit of an understatement. Olivia had spent about half an hour making out with Evan on the balcony before returning to her room alone. She didn't even mind that it didn't go beyond kissing. She went to bed feeling elated and gratified. He really did want her.

"By the way, there was no way you could have known I'd be alone in my own bed," Olivia said. "I could very well be doing my own walk of shame right now."

"I don't think so. You are more like me than Emma. You want one special man. And I don't think you would risk rushing things with Major Lorne."

Olivia blushed. She very well might have rushed things with Evan if he hadn't been level-headed last night and stopped her again. But Sophie didn't need to know that. Better if she continued believing her to be chaste and noble.

"I think someone is coming," Sophie whispered and pressed a finger to her lips.

Olivia grinned and pulled her blanket tighter over her shoulders. Footsteps approached from the left. It was Dr McKay. Complete with rumpled clothes and just-been-fucked hair. He stopped short when he spotted the pair on the floor. Olivia smiled brightly and held up her coffee mug in greeting. McKay turned red and kept walking past them briskly.

"You're right. This is the best!" Olivia said.

Chuck from the Control Room tried to sneak past next. Then Cadman sauntered past, not looking bothered to see two women sitting on the floor drinking coffee. Another red-head appeared around the corner after her.

Sophie gasped. "Jessica Lindsay, you little vixen!"

The anthropologist froze like a deer in headlights. "Oh my God. Wait. It wasn't like that. I mean it was like that, but not what you're thinking."

"You didn't have sex with that hot Spanish technician?" Olivia asked.

Jessica turned a pretty shade of pink and didn't answer. She sat down on the floor beside Olivia and picked up her own cup of coffee. The trio sat in silence and watched as more and more Atlantis personnel made the long walk back to their own rooms.

"Where do you think Emma ended up?" Jessica asked.

Olivia shrugged. "She was chasing after Ronon for a while but I don't think she ever got her claws into him. I didn't see who she left with after that."

"Don't worry, I'm sure she will tell us all about it whether we want to hear it or not," Sophie added.

A door swished open a few rooms down the hall. Olivia was pretty sure it was Dr Esposito's room. Reed stumbled out, rubbing tiredly at his eyes. He saw the group on the floor and made his way over. He slid down the wall and sat beside Sophie. "So what are we doing down here this morning?" he asked casually.

"Watching the Atlantis walk of shame."

"Ah, right. Anyone interesting so far?"

"Just the usual suspects."

"What time did the party wrap up?" Olivia asked, handing Reed a coffee.

"I don't know. I left while it was still going on."

"You left your own party early?" Sophie asked, shaking her head in disappointment.

Reed, unabashed, just shrugged. "What can I say? I got a better offer."

"Guys," Jessica hissed suddenly. "She's coming. It's Emma."

Four heads turned to the left as footsteps approached. It was indeed Emma. She looked like she had been run over by a truck. Her hair was sticking up in every direction and her green eyes were bloodshot and rimmed by dark circles. She definitely had the worst hangover yet.

"For fuck's sake," she muttered upon seeing the quartet. "What are you idiots doing on the floor?"

"Good morning to you too, sunshine," Sophie said.

"Am I going to be that grumpy in the morning when I'm over thirty?" Reed asked no one in particular.

Emma pointed an accusatory finger at him. "You! This is all your fault. Why did you give me that tequila?"

"So I take it you found someone to do shots with you?" Olivia asked.

"Unfortunately."

Four sets of eyes look up at her expectantly. She shook her head then clutched at it when the movement obviously caused her pain. "I'm never telling anyone so don't bother."

"Is he military or civilian?"

"I'm not telling!"

"It's not like you to be coy," Olivia said thoughtfully.

"Was it Sheppard?" Reed guessed.

Emma snorted. "Yeah right. Only in my dirtiest, most depraved dreams."

Jessica choked on her coffee and Olivia thumped her helpfully on the back.

"Right. Now that was officially more information than I needed to hear," Reed said, getting to his feet slowly. "I'll leave you to your girl-talk."

Once Reed had disappeared around the corner, Sophie grabbed Emma's hand and pulled her to the floor. "Okay, he's gone. Time to spill the beans, mon amie."

"Not a chance."

"I tried to warn you off the tequila," Olivia reminded her. "It's your own fault you feel like shit."

"This is worse than feeling like shit. I think I'm dying," Emma whimpered and lay her head in Sophie's lap.

"We do have some good news. Jessica spent the night with that new Spanish technician."

"Nice," Emma said weakly.

"So, come on, how was the sex, Jess?"

She gave a self-conscious little giggle and said, "Muy caliente."

Olivia joined in with the laughter. She couldn't remember the last time she had been so content. She had grown to love the women around her like sisters. Hell, she was even fond of Reed despite his man-whoring ways. And Evan. Sometimes it was hard for her to keep her fluctuating feelings for him straight, but she was definitely falling for him.

A dark thought reared its ugly head. Olivia had less than four months left on Atlantis. Soon she would be saying goodbye to everyone and returning to Earth. Leaving the city and the Ancient database would be hard. Mostly, she didn't want to leave her new friends behind. They still didn't even know she was leaving.

Olivia took a deep breath. "Guys, can we go into my room? I have something important I need to tell you all."


	12. Starry Night

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and well-wishes! I managed to get a lot of writing done so there'll be an update same time next week. This chapter is short but covers a lot of ground. It starts right after 'Michael' and goes all the way up to the beginning of 'Misbegotten' in season three. There are references to events that took place during the intervening episodes. I really do like to tie things in with the series and I'm glad people appreciate that as well. I promise the next instalment will be much longer. For now, enjoy this chapter! It's a significant one…

* * *

Olivia was procrastinating in the worst way. She couldn't bring herself to tell Evan that she had to leave Atlantis soon. She had plucked up enough courage to tell her friends, but telling Evan was a different story. He wasn't going to take it well, and Olivia was hoping to come up with some last minute way to soften the blow.

Plus, events kept conspiring against her. For the week following Reed's party, Olivia hardly saw Evan. As both she and Ronon had predicted, it turned out to be a bad idea to have a Wraith loose in the city. Olivia was terrified when she heard that Michael had escaped his guards. Then when Sergeant Cole was killed and Teyla was kidnapped, she knew it wasn't the right time to tell Evan. He needed her.

"So did you tell him last night?" Emma asked.

"No," Olivia answered, trying to suppress the blush that was blazing a trail up her neck.

"The longer you leave it, the harder it will be," Sophie said gently.

"I realise that! I promise I'll tell him tonight. Can we talk about someone else's love life for a while?"

"I'm afraid I have no love life to speak of."

"Me either," Emma said, flicking idly through one of Olivia's anthropology textbooks.

"Right. What about your mystery man then?"

Emma snapped the book shut and dropped it on the desk with a thud. "I told you. That was a one time thing. A drunken mistake."

"Are you certain he feels the same way?" Sophie asked.

"Positive," she replied firmly.

Olivia gave her friend a devious little smile. "You know, I'm determined to find out who he is before I leave."

"Go ahead and try. I know he won't admit to it either."

"I'm very resourceful," Olivia warned her.

"Haven't you got a lot of actual work to do before you leave?" Emma asked pointedly.

Olivia groaned. "You wouldn't believe it. There's so much raw data to be sorted through. I've already filled up all the hard drives I brought with me so I'm down to transcribing by hand. I'm gonna end up with the worst case of carpal tunnel ever."

"Don't work too hard. You should make time to enjoy the rest of your stay," Sophie said, stepping over to pat her shoulder comfortingly.

"That's right," Emma said, nodding in agreement. "Leave that stupid database alone for a while. Create some great memories while you're here. I recommend having sex with Lorne in as many different rooms as possible."

"Emma!"

A knock at the door made all the women turn in unison. Inevitably, Evan was standing in the doorway to the lab looking amused. Olivia turned bright red.

"Evening, ladies."

"Evening, Major," Emma replied, no hint of embarrassment visible on her face.

"We will give you two some privacy," Sophie said quickly and grabbed Emma by the arm. She dragged her companion forcibly from the lab.

Olivia concentrated on tapping away at her laptop as Evan entered and came to peer over her shoulder. "Did I just hear sex and my name mentioned in the same sentence?"

"Let's just pretend the answer to that is no."

"Right. Why weren't you at dinner tonight?"

"The girls brought me some food," Olivia answered, nodding towards the mess hall tray on her desk. "I had some work to finish up."

"Work day's over," Evan said. He pulled her chair back from the desk and spun her around to face him. "My quarters in an hour. Okay?"

Olivia nodded helplessly. So far they'd only spent time together in the crowded mess hall or their reading room, which was still technically a public space. Personal quarters opened up all sorts of possibilities. Olivia was going to have to tell him tonight. There was no way around it anymore.

Evan dropped a quick kiss on her cheek and left. Olivia turned back to her desk and slammed her laptop shut. This was going to be an unmitigated disaster. Reluctantly, she stood and left the sanctuary that was her lab.

After a quick shower and a long pep-talk in the mirror, Olivia left her own room and made her ways to Evan's. She'd run through what she was going to say in her head multiple times now. When it came out different each time, she realised she was just going to have to wing it.

She swiped her hand over the access panel and the door opened almost immediately.

Inside, she saw Evan sitting at a small desk on the far side of the room. He looked back over his shoulder and smiled. "Come in. I'm just finishing up a quick email to my sister."

Olivia stepped across the threshold and the door closed automatically behind her. Evan's room was a little bigger than hers. It was also much neater. She didn't know if it was just his personality or the military training, but everything was squared away perfectly. His bed was made and his nightstand was bare except for a lamp. A dresser to her right had a uniform neatly folded on top of it. His boots were lined up at the end of the bed.

Olivia officially felt like the messiest person in the world.

"Don't just stand there," he said, not turning away from his laptop. "Sit on the bed. Make yourself comfortable."

Olivia glanced at Evan's bed speculatively. She'd lost count of how many of her dreams ended up with the two of them on that bed. She decided to stay standing.

"Your room's bigger than mine," she commented. "That's not really fair."

He just laughed. "Sucks, doesn't it? Check out the bathroom."

Olivia took a few steps and ducked her head into the bathroom. It was much bigger than hers and it had a corner bathtub. "That's definitely not fair! Why don't I have a tub?"

"Cause you aren't a senior member of the expedition. We get all the perks."

Olivia walked back into the middle of the room. A picture that she hadn't noticed yet caught her eye. A print of a famous painting was hanging beside the door. "Is that Van Gogh?"

"Yeah. Starry Night. My mom put one in my room when I was little. I kept it up till I left home and now I take it with me wherever I'm stationed."

"I bet that's different to what's hanging up in other military quarters around here," Olivia said.

"Well I definitely had a mixed up-bringing. As a teenager I had Van Gogh on one wall and an F-14 Tomcat on the other."

"What, no pictures of naked women at all?"

"My mom and my sister would have both killed me. They were under my mattress."

Olivia smiled and went over to join him at the desk. He was typing what looked to be a long email. Aside from the laptop, the only other items on the desk were a framed photo and a small model of a fighter jet. She picked up the photo. "Is this your family?"

"My mom, sister and nephews. That's Sam and that little guy is Alex," he answered, pointing to each of the boys.

"They're cute."

"Definitely. I took that before I left Earth so they're probably a lot bigger now. They grow too fast for me to keep up."

"Your mother and sister are both beautiful," Olivia added. The family resemblance was striking, particularly around the eyes.

"I know. It was hell trying to keep boys away from my sister when we were growing up." Evan closed his laptop and looked up at her. "I'm done. What are we going to do tonight?"

Olivia replaced the photo frame and rolled her eyes. "You're the one who invited me here. I thought you would have had something planned."

"Well if I'm in charge of the evening's activities…"

Olivia squeaked in surprise when he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her down onto his lap. He kissed her slowly and gently this time and let his hands glide up and down her back. This was new. So far they'd tried to devour each other till one of them ran out of breath. This kiss was tender and sweet and reverent.

Olivia pulled away first. She buried her face in his neck in case he noticed her inner turmoil. She was quickly losing her nerve. Evan was too good to be true. Gorgeous, heroic, smart, artistic, kind and a fantastic kisser.

"Are you a good cook?" she asked, not composed enough to look at him yet.

"Not at all. Why?"

"Just wondering."

So he wasn't the perfect man. Only mostly perfect. Olivia's heart was about ready to burst out of her chest. The Van Gogh, the neatly folded uniform, the beautiful family. How in the world was she just going to walk away from all this and keep her sanity?

"I think we'd be more comfortable on the bed," Evan said softly in her ear.

Not the bed. "We need to talk," she blurted, scrambling off him and retreating to the middle of the room.

"Hey, calm down," he said, getting to his feet and frowning at her. "We can slow down if you want. It's fine. We have plenty of time."

"That's the problem!" Olivia said. "We don't have plenty of time, Evan!"

He approached her slowly, holding out his hands in front of him. "What do you mean? Why not?"

Olivia took a step back. Tears were stinging at her eyes but she was determined not to cry this time. "I'm leaving Atlantis. I'm leaving in less than four months."

Evan stopped in his tracks. He folded his arms across his chest. "Leaving? Why would you want to leave Atlantis?"

"I don't _want_ to leave. I don't have a choice. I'm being sent back to the SGC to finish my work there."

"All right." Evan rubbed his hand over his face and mumbled something to himself. "It's all right. We can fix this. We'll talk to Dr Weir in the morning and she'll sort it out."

Olivia shook her head forlornly. "She already knows I'm leaving and she can't do anything to stop it."

"Weir knows about it already?" His voice was rising now and taking Olivia's heart rate along with it. "Exactly how long have _you_ known about this?"

"Since I came to Atlantis. The IOA was only ever going to let me stay for a year before recalling me back to Earth."

"Are you kidding me?" Evan looked equal parts angry and upset. He went to sit over on the bed. Olivia just kept hovering in the middle of the room awkwardly. Neither of them spoke for a minute.

"Evan? I'm sorry," she finally said.

"I can't believe I'm only hearing about this now. You've completely blindsided me, Olivia."

"I'm sorry," she repeated weakly.

Evan turned to look at her, his face hard and emotionless. "But I guess that's your MO, right? The professor then the football coach and now me."

"That's not fair. This situation is out of my control."

"I understand that part. What I don't get is why it's taken you eight months to tell me about this. I should have known what was going on from the very start."

Olivia bit the inside of her cheek to keep the tears at bay a little longer. "Would you have done things differently?"

"Maybe. I don't know. But I should have been given the option. What am I supposed to do now?"

"We could still make things work," she offered tentatively, already knowing what the answer was going to be.

"We'd spend four months together then try to maintain a relationship from different galaxies? That wouldn't be fair on either of us."

Deep down, Olivia had known this would happen, but the reality of it wasn't any less painful. "So it's over before it even really started?" she asked.

Evan shrugged and turned his eyes to the floor. "I don't see any other option. You should have told me earlier, that's the bottom line."

Olivia crossed the room to stand in front of him. "I tried! But it never seemed like a good time. Then things just snowballed out of control."

"I feel like an idiot. I was letting myself feel things that I'd avoided for a long time."

She reached out and rested her hand lightly on his shoulder. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I'm so sorry."

Evan looked up and removed her hand from his shoulder with a shrug. "You need to leave."

"Evan…"

"I can't handle you standing there in front of me anymore."

Olivia heard the door slide open. Evan's eyes were back on the floor again. She looked between him and the door for a second, uncertain of what to do. Her tears were too close to the surface to be stopped now. That made the decision for her. She couldn't think of anything more to say so she made her way across the room quickly.

She started crying as soon as she stepped into the corridor.

* * *

Days turned into weeks, weeks bled in months.

Olivia was distraught for three or four days after Evan had kicked her out and broken off contact. Gradually, with Emma and Sophie's, help she had settled herself back into a normal routine. Work kept her busy for the most part. When she got fed-up with the database, she went knocking on Dr Weir's door and begged for another project.

Luckily, her skills as an anthropologist had been in demand for a while. Sheppard and his team had narrowly rescued the Taranan people when their planet was rendered uninhabitable by a volcanic eruption. Olivia had been selected to join the team that helped them relocate. She'd been able to spend an entire week off-world helping them get re-established.

Her involvement with the Taranans and familiarity with the Ancient database made it relatively easy for her to talk her way onto a Jumper full of scientists on their way to check out the Ancient warship newly dubbed Orion. The ship was astonishing and the fact that she had been able to spend time aboard it had cheered her up immensely. Not only was she taking back new knowledge and discoveries, she had a fair few adventures to add to her personal experiences.

At one point, Dr Weir and Teyla had approached her with another great opportunity. Both women wanted a record of the Athosian people to be written up and taken back to the SGC. Olivia had been more than happy to help with that. She spent two weeks on the mainland living amongst them. It was comforting to be doing something familiar and the fieldwork brought back fond memories of her early studies of indigenous tribes on various continents on Earth.

Olivia paused and glanced down at the stack of papers in her hand. She'd only been back for a week and she'd already finished writing up her findings. She had _way_ too much free time on her hands. Sighing, she knocked on Dr Weir's door.

The leader of the expedition looked up and gestured her forward. "Come in, Olivia."

"Thanks. I just wanted to drop this off," she said, entering the office and settling into the guest chair across the desk.

Dr Weir frowned and accepted the papers. She read the title then smiled. "Resilience and courage: The Athosian people of the Pegasus Galaxy. You've already finished it?"

Olivia nodded and had to consciously stop her fingers tapping on the arms of the chair. "I had some spare time at night."

"Enough spare time to complete an entire anthropological study? It's over one hundred pages long," Dr Weir said incredulously.

"I have _a lot_ of free time at the moment. I came to see if there's anything else I can do around here to help out. I enjoyed working with the Taranans and the Athosians."

"I can't think of anything at the moment. I'll keep an eye out for you. How many days left now?"

"Only fifty-five," Olivia answered morosely. "I know they'll be over in the blink of an eye."

"I really wish there was something I could do for you. But after recent events, the IOA isn't going to want to take any of my recommendations on board."

Olivia nodded. Dr Weir had only returned from Earth a few days ago. The last week had been awful. Wraith had been allowed in the city and Evan had been on the Orion the whole time. He wasn't exactly likely to go out of his way to look after her, but his general absence made her feel unsafe. At least Reed had noticed her anxiety and had radioed ahead to update her on the movements of the Wraith. With his help, she had managed to avoid being anywhere near them.

"I bought myself a copy of your book while I was on Earth."

Olivia's eyes widened. "You have my book?"

"I finished reading it on the return trip on the Daedalus. Fascinating stuff. Very well written, Olivia. You should be proud."

Olivia blushed slightly. A compliment from a woman like Elizabeth Weir wasn't to be sneezed at. Truthfully, she had all but forgotten about her book since joining the Stargate Program. She'd published an ethnohistorical study of the Roman Empire. She'd been giving a reading at Colorado State University when Dr Jackson had approached her afterwards. After being introduced to the Ancients, her little book became pretty insignificant. Every few months she'd receive a royalty check, but that was about it.

"Thank you, Dr Weir. I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was hoping to produce something similar with the Ancients but I may have been a little too ambitious. There's so much ground to cover."

"You could use a research assistant," Dr Weir said with a sympathetic smile.

"I could use a _team_ of assistants. I'm hoping I can get a little help back on Earth. No one else here seems interested in learning how the Ancients lived. They only want the technology and the knowledge that comes with it."

"Well I'm very interested in your work, Olivia. I hope you'll email me regularly and keep me updated on your progress."

"I will," she promised.

Dr Weir sighed and stood up. "Thank you. Now, I hate to chase you off, but I have to get to a meeting with Dr Heightmeyer. We need to work out what to do with the Wraith we turned human."

"It's all right," Olivia said, standing up as well. "I didn't mean to take up all your time. I'd still appreciate any work you could throw my way."

Dr Weir frowned thoughtfully as she led Olivia from her office. "Would you consider helping us reassimilate the human Wraith?"

The very thought made Olivia want to scream. "Uh, no thanks. I'm really not comfortable around the Wraith. I mean, I know they're human and everything now, but still…"

"Don't worry," Dr Weir said quickly, waving her hand in the air. "I understand that. I'll try to think of something else and get back to you."

"Unscheduled off-world activation," Chuck announced as they entered the Control Room.

"What's going on?" Dr Weir asked, eyeing the active Gate suspiciously.

Chuck watched his screen intently. He seemed to breath a sigh of relief after a moment. "Receiving Major Lorne's IDC."

"Lower the shield," Dr Weir ordered.

"Thank you for your time, Doctor. I'll speak to you in a few days," Olivia said quickly, suddenly desperate to be anywhere other than the Control Room.

"Hold on." Dr Weir reached out and grasped her forearm. "I may have just come up with something for you. Come with me."

Olivia's heart leapt into her throat. Dr Weir started off down the stairs and she followed hesitantly. Evan emerged from the shimmering event horizon with Reed, Coughlin and Dr Francis from geology trailing along behind him.

He made the briefest eye contact with Olivia then turned to Dr Weir. "Sorry, ma'am. We tried our best but the Jenev still don't want anything to do with us."

"That's all right, Major. We can't expect everyone to welcome us with open arms." Dr Weir gestured towards Olivia. "I'm not sure if you've had a chance to speak to her yet, but this is Dr Meyers. She's one of our anthropologists."

"Yeah, we've met," Evan said simply.

"Good. I'd like you to take her off-world with your team next week."

Olivia wished the Gateroom floor would open up and drop her down onto the level below. Evan glanced at her then back at Dr Weir. "Ma'am?"

"You have a first contact assignment with the people of M4R-775. That's right up Dr Meyers' alley."

"But Dr Parrish is already coming along on that mission. He won't like being replaced."

"Don't worry about Dr Parrish. He's been trying to get permission to stay overnight on the mainland to study a flower that only blooms at night," Dr Weir said. "I'll give him the go ahead and get someone to drop him at the Athosian settlement next week. He won't care about not going to 775."

Evan frowned and rested his forearms on the butt of his P90. "Dr Meyers usually goes off-world with Sergeant Stackhouse or Lt Edison."

"I'm sure she'll make do with you and your men just this once," Dr Weir replied with a wry little smile. "I think an anthropologist is going to be a lot more useful at a first contact than a botanist."

"If that's what you want, ma'am, I'll make it happen," Evan said dutifully.

"Thank you. Give Dr Meyers all the details and I'll see you at the briefing." Dr Weir turned to her and Olivia quickly plastered on a smile. "There you are. Another project to keep you occupied till you leave. I'll come up with a few more soon."

"Thanks," Olivia said softly.

"You're welcome."

Dr Weir walked away, leaving Olivia and Evan standing face to face in the middle of the Gateroom. She was vaguely aware of Reed and Coughlin standing hesitantly off to the side.

"I didn't ask her to do that," Olivia said matter-of-factly. "Well, I did ask her for something to do but I didn't ask her to send me off-world with you."

"I figured that," Evan replied, not looking too bothered at all by the idea of going off-world with her. "We leave at 1300 on Tuesday afternoon. Briefing is before lunch at 1100."

"Fine. See you then."

"Yeah. See you then."


	13. Trouble magnet

A/N: That time of the week again! Thanks everyone. I'm so excited to have 50+ reviews for this story. Chapter 13 posted on Friday the 13th! Anyway, this chapter is a long one. I couldn't have Olivia leave Pegasus without having an off-world adventure with Evan. So here it is! Enjoy! Oh. One more thing. The next chapter features Daniel Jackson...naked, angry hippies...and some Lorne whump. See you next week!

* * *

Olivia stared up at the dormant Stargate and contemplated the sharp turn her life had taken. Accomplished in her field and privy to one of history's most important secrets, she should have felt immensely satisfied. But the rest niggled at her. She was also twice divorced and currently alone. One half of her life was coming together splendidly while the other half was falling apart spectacularly.

For the most part, she didn't need a man around to make her feel complete, but it was sometimes just nice to have another person around to share life with. Especially life on Atlantis. So many recent events had almost had her running off to find Evan. The realisation that they no longer had that sort of relationship always stopped her in her tracks. Not only had Olivia managed to ruin a potentially wonderful romantic prospect, she had also lost her best friend on Atlantis.

Footsteps approached and Olivia turned to see Evan leading Reed and Coughlin into the Gateroom. The Gate began to light up and she stepped to the side to allow the wormhole to engage.

"Ready, Doc?" Evan asked, looking her up and down quickly.

"Yes," Olivia managed to reply just before the vortex blossomed outwards then snapped back into a bright, shimmering pool.

"Okay. Let's go and introduce ourselves to the neighbours," Evan said. He unclipped his P90 and gestured towards Reed. "Hang back till we can confirm these people are friendly."

"Yessir."

Evan disappeared through the Stargate with Coughlin on his heels. Olivia hesitated momentarily and Reed poked her shoulder. "Come on, it's too late to change your mind now."

Olivia lifted her chin and stepped through the event horizon. She was getting better and better at wormhole travel. She no longer stumbled or felt disoriented as she materialised on the other side of the Gate. She did feel a little sick to the stomach, but that had more to do with Evan's presence. He was acting too normal. Well, not normal exactly. He was calling her Doc, but he was talking to her as if she was any other expedition member.

Reed stepped through behind her and the Gate shut down, throwing the small clearing into sudden darkness. They had emerged into a dense forest filled with tall, thin trees. There was no foliage within reach, but up high the trees had copious branches and large leaves. The canopy was so thick that only glimpses of blue sky and sunlight could be seen.

"This is creepy," Reed commented, looking around and raising his P90 reflexively.

"We can't always step into a field of wild flowers," Olivia reasoned.

"I can't help but get a bad feeling. Every time I go off-world with you I almost die," Reed said.

Olivia shot him a glare. "We've been off-world together once and that whole debacle was hardly my fault. For all I know, you're the trouble magnet."

"Hey, I've been off-world way more than you. I think I'd know by now if I was a trouble magnet."

"Are you two done?" Evan asked lightly, raising an eyebrow at the pair. Olivia turned a little pink and Reed just grinned and nodded. "Good. Let's get moving. According to Teyla, the local settlement is only about fifteen minutes in that direction."

The group started walking in single file. They walked in silence for a few minutes. Olivia occupied herself by trying not to jump at every little noise off in the distance. It was obviously only native animals scurrying through the underbrush, but considering her last encounter with a native animal, she was a little wary.

"From what the Athosians reported, these people don't have anything to trade with," Reed commented. "Why are we even bothering with them?"

"It's not always about what we can get out of people," Evan answered without stopping or turning back. "It sounds like they could use our help."

Reed groaned from behind Olivia. "So it's going to be like 177 all over again. We help improve the lives of some poor, down-trodden people and in return they sell us out to the enemy. Great. Why do we keep getting the humanitarian missions?"

"Obviously because you've got such a big heart, kid," Coughlin said.

"Look, would you rather be infiltrating a hive ship right now?" Evan asked. Then he quickly added, "Actually, don't answer that, Reed. I already know what you'd say."

Olivia found herself smiling as she walked along. She could already tell she was going to enjoy being off-world with Evan's team. Pity she was only likely to do it this once. Not to mention she wasn't on friendly terms with Evan anymore. Her smile faded slowly.

"What's with all the trees?" Coughlin asked suddenly.

"Yeah. I was just thinking that was a bit strange," Evan answered. "Let's stay alert."

"Oh, here we go," Reed muttered. "I knew this mission was going to end in screaming and running."

So far, Olivia had been staring at her feet as she walked. The last thing she wanted to do was trip over or step in something horrible. Now, she looked up to see what the guys were talking about. The forest was beginning to thin out. Partly because they were getting closer and closer to the edge, but also because there were a lot of fallen trees strewn across their path.

Evan paused at one such fallen tree and waited for the group to catch up. They all stood in a line and surveyed the tree.

"I'm no expert on trees, but this seems like too many fallen ones for such a small area of forest," Olivia said. She gazed up at the spindly trunks around her. "I mean, the trees don't appear to be the strongest around but surely they shouldn't just fall."

"Looks like we could really use a botanist right about now," Evan commented, tossing Olivia a pointed look.

Olivia folded her arms defensively. "I'd much rather Parrish were here if this is going to turn into another disaster. I'll gladly go back to Atlantis and send him through."

"The villagers probably cut them down for some sort of ceremony," Coughlin offered, clearly hoping to disperse the sudden tension.

"I'm no expert on trees either, but that wasn't caused by a tool," Evan said, pointing to the jagged break at the base of the trunk.

"Then maybe they're sick," Reed interjected. "Tree diseases exist, right?"

"It doesn't look diseased to me," Olivia said.

"That your professional opinion as an anthropologist?"

"I'm just trying to work out what's going on here," Olivia said, narrowing her eyes at Evan. "I was serious about going back to Atlantis. I have no desire to be here."

"No one's going back to the Gate. This mission ends when I say it ends. I'm not going back to Atlantis and telling Weir we aborted because it looked like a few trees had fallen over. We keep moving."

Evan stepped up onto the tree trunk and jumped down to the other side. Coughlin followed and Reed gave Olivia a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. She growled in reply and clambered over the tree as well.

The procession continued in silence, only slowing to climb over trees occasionally. Finally, Olivia was able to make out the edge of the forest. She blinked as she emerged into the sunshine. Not too far away, human voices could be heard alongside the banging of metal tools. She could just make out a cluster of wooden buildings in the distance

"This way," Evan said, gesturing with his gun. "Let's take this nice and slow, okay. I don't want any trouble."

Olivia wormed her way between Reed and Coughlin and followed Evan's lead. As they approached the settlement it became clear that something wasn't right.

"What the hell," Reed hissed. "This place is just getting weirder and weirder."

"Put a cork in it," Coughlin snapped.

Olivia had to agree with Reed. She stared wide-eyed at the primitive dwellings around her. All of them were in varying states of disrepair. Some were missing roofs, others were missing walls. A few were merely piles of rubble. The voices grew louder until finally the group was confronted by a pair of men working on one of the dilapidated houses.

Everyone froze. The men lowered their tools slowly and regarded the team suspiciously. Olivia figured this was her cue. She raised her hands to show she had no weapons then stepped past Evan.

"What do you think you're doing?" Evan demanded. He halted her progress by hooking a finger through one of the belt loops on the back of her pants. "I do all the talking, Doc."

"But I'm the anthropologist," Olivia said, peering back over her shoulder and trying to dislodge his finger by wiggling her hips.

"And I'm in charge." He yanked her back till she was level with him. "Stand behind me and don't say a word."

"Excuse me? Dr Weir sent me along specifically to make first contact with these people."

"Not _literally_. I always handle the introductions. Believe it or not, but we have managed to get through several first meetings without your expertise."

Olivia clenched her fists at her sides. "Why am I even here if you're not going to let me speak?"

"You're here because Weir decided you should be here."

"They're staring at us, boss," Coughlin said, coming up on Evan's other side.

"You two aren't exactly giving off friendly vibes," Reed added, stepping up next to Olivia.

The two villagers were looking a little startled. They shared a huddled whisper then one of them walked forward cautiously. "Are you travellers?"

"Yes," Evan replied, taking his own step forward. Olivia defiantly followed suit and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. "My name is Major Lorne. This is Captain Coughlin, Lt Reed and Dr Meyers. We've come through the Ancestral Ring. We hope to trade with you."

"We have nothing of worth to trade," the other man said. "Our crops this season have failed and many of our animals have been lost."

Evan nodded. "We might be able to help you with that. Please, we need to speak to someone in charge. Do you have a leader or someone who can speak for your people?"

"There is Governor Nevin, but he is a busy man and dislikes speaking to outsiders. You should return to your own world before it happens again."

"Before what happens?" Olivia asked immediately.

Evan held up a hand to silence her. "Are you familiar with the city of Atlantis?"

Both men suddenly became interested. "You come from the city of the Ancestors?"

"That's right. We have much we can offer your people. May we speak to Governor Nevin now?"

The men shared a quick look then nodded in unison. "We will take you to the meeting hall and send someone to fetch him. Follow us."

"Don't you think maybe we should find out what they were talking about?" Olivia hissed as she followed after the two men.

"What do you think we're about to do?" Evan replied tersely. "Just keep quiet and let me handle this. Once I know it's safe around here, you can go ahead and do your anthropologist thing."

"It's amazing how you can just reduce my life's work down to a _thing_. Thanks a lot."

"Stop putting words in my mouth."

Olivia was about to reply when Reed spoke up from behind her. "This feels like every vacation I ever took with my parents. You two need to kiss and make up already. You're upsetting the children. Right, Coughlin?"

Three voices told him to shut up. They walked in silence for the rest of the time. Olivia was regretting coming on the mission. Emma and Sophie had tried to convince her to fake an illness to get out of it, but she had been adamant that it would be fine. She had assumed that she and Evan would be able to be professional and set aside their differences for a few hours. Apparently neither of them was that grown up.

Still, something in the antagonism was comforting. Olivia was always able to give as good as she got and seeing Evan worked up was perversely satisfying. The most painful thing was the indifference he had been showing her lately. Avoiding her and being confrontational was one thing, but pretending she was nobody special was the most painful thing Evan could possibly do to her.

It was like nothing at all had gone on between them. Right now he was at least acknowledging that they had a difficult past.

Olivia decided to put it out of her mind and do her job. She looked around at the buildings they were passing and noticed they were less dilapidated now. More and more of them were made of stone. One particularly large building dominated the village and it appeared as if they were being led towards it by their escorts. Curious villagers watched as they passed and Olivia did her best to smile politely at each and every one of them.

"This is the meeting hall," one of the men said, nodding towards the large building Olivia had been looking at. "Wait inside and we will send for the Governor immediately."

Evan paused in front of the hall. "I'd like to leave two of my team outside to keep watch if that's okay."

"As you wish."

The two men bowed crisply then hurried off. Evan turned to Reed and Coughlin. "I want you two to stay out here and make sure there's nothing fishy going on. I don't want another ambush on my watch."

"Can I wait outside as well?" Olivia asked.

"Not a chance. You go where I go," Evan replied flatly, leaving no room for argument.

"Fine." Olivia turned on her heel and approached the hall. She pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped inside.

"Hey! I enter all rooms first!" Evan snapped, hurrying past her and sweeping his P90 in a wide arc around the cavernous hall.

Olivia chose to ignore him and took a good look around. The room was probably about the same size at the mess hall back on Atlantis. Except instead of tables and chairs, the space was filled with rows and rows of wooden benches. To her right, Olivia saw a raised platform that had a table and some chairs that faced out into the hall. It looked like a typical space to hold town meetings in.

The door swung shut behind them with a solid thud. The large windows on the other side of the room all had their shutters thrown open, letting in fresh air and sunlight. Olivia began to walk down the centre of the hall between the rows of benches. She was aware of Evan's footsteps right behind her, but she kept walking determinedly, gazing up at the high, vaulted ceiling.

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing," he said gruffly.

Olivia stopped walking and turned to him, cocking her head innocently. "What exactly am I doing?"

"Trying to get sent back to Atlantis early." Evan had secured his P90 to his chest at some point and was now regarding her severely with his hands on his hips. "If you keep it up I'll pull your travel clearance entirely."

"You can't do that!"

"Sheppard can. If I tell him you aren't respecting the chain of command then he'll pull your clearance in a heartbeat." Evan stepped closer to her and she had to resist the urge to step back. "It's the oddest thing though. Stackhouse and Edison both said you were always on your best behaviour when you went off-world. Why are you going rogue now? Could it have something to do with me?"

"Get over yourself. I didn't want to come on this stupid mission in the first place," Olivia said, planting her hands on her own hips.

"So that gives you the right to disobey my orders? You're my responsibility while we're out here and I take that seriously. What if someone had been waiting in this place to grab you?"

"I know karate," she answered defiantly.

Evan laughed, his dimples flashing momentarily. "Right. I forgot about your secret power. What if they were holding weapons on you? Would you want me and my Kevlar and my guns standing in front of you in that case?"

Olivia had an acerbic reply on the tip of her tongue but she swallowed it. She was smart enough to know when she was beat. "Yes, Major," she said meekly.

"Good. When this Governor arrives let me do the talking to begin with. Then you can take over if you want. But the main thing is we work as a team here."

Olivia turned and continued to walk down the long aisle. "You and I could have made a really good team, Evan," she said back over her shoulder.

"Pity you decided to lie to me then."

"I never lied to you."

"You lied by omission and you know it."

Once again, Olivia knew when she was beat. "I said I was sorry about that."

Evan was walking close behind her again. His boots were echoing loudly through the empty hall. "I know you did. You said it several times. I have a very clear memory of that night."

"Do you hate me?" she asked, dreading the answer even as the question left her lips.

"I think I did for a little while."

Olivia winced. Still, she wasn't too surprised. She had also hated herself for a while there. She continued walking, unwilling to turn and look him in the eye for this conversation. "Does that mean you forgive me now?"

"It's not that simple. No one's hurt me like that in a long time, Olivia."

She stopped walking abruptly and finally turned around. Evan was only two feet from her. "I'm sorry. I know I ruined everything. If I could go back I'd do it all differently. Hell, I probably wouldn't have gone to my reading room at all that night. Then we could have avoided all of this grief."

"That's a little extreme. I don't regret meeting you that night. Most of our relationship was good," Evan said, shrugging. "When you weren't ripping my heart out, I mean."

"Stop it," Olivia moaned. "I feel horrible enough without that added imagery."

Evan gave her a small smile and opened his mouth. But before he could say anything, the ground began to shake beneath their feet. Olivia reached for Evan just as he reached out for her.

"Earthquake," Evan said quickly. "Over to the table. Hurry up!"

Olivia let herself be dragged to the front of the hall. "Are you sure?" she shouted over the rumbling and the creaking of the wooden ceiling. She had nightmarish visions of a Wraith hive ship landing beside the building, shaking the foundations with its enormous size.

"Uh, yeah. I grew up in San Francisco," was the only reply she got. She figured that was more than enough to qualify him. Together they reached the table and ducked under it.

The ground continued to shudder beneath them and the roof continued to creak above them. It sounded like it could give way at any moment. Olivia grabbed one of the legs of the table and held on for dear life. Evan put an arm around her neck and pulled her head down to nestle it into his chest. He cocooned himself around her and they rode out the rest of the tremor that way.

Finally, after what felt like hours, but was only fifteen seconds, the earthquake ended. The ground stilled and the building settled with a slight groan. Olivia went to move her head but Evan held her down. "Wait. There might be aftershocks. Sometimes they're worse."

Olivia nodded and held still. Her radio crackled to life in her ear. "Major? Doc?" came Coughlin's frantic voice.

"We're fine," Evan answered. "Stay away from any buildings in case there are aftershocks."

"Are you coming out?"

"Negative. The door's at the other end of the hall. We're safe under a table right now so we'll stay put for the time being."

"Understood."

Olivia wriggled from Evan's tight grasp. "I can't breath down there," she said, gasping and shoving her hair back out of her face.

"Sorry," he said quickly, loosening his grip and sliding back a little. "You okay?"

"Fine. I thought the roof was going to come down for a second there."

"I think it's pretty sturdy. Nothing to worry about."

Olivia gradually slowed her breathing and heart rate. She turned to smile wryly at Evan. "I guess that solves the mystery of the fallen trees and the destroyed houses. I wonder how often the quakes happen."

"Seems like it's fairly often. That one wasn't too big though. Only felt like a four on our scale."

"_Only a four_?" Olivia repeated incredulously. "I thought the ground was going to open up beneath our feet!"

"Trust me, it wasn't all that strong. I've been through a seven magnitude. I'm not ashamed to admit that was frightening."

"So how long do we wait under here then?"

"Only a few minutes. But really, we're not dealing with Earth here so I can't be sure how the seismic activity differs on this planet."

Olivia nodded firmly. "Okay. A few minutes. I can handle a few minutes."

Evan gave a little chuckle and she frowned at him questioningly. "Maybe Reed's right about you being a trouble magnet."

"Hey, I'm pretty sure that earthquake would have happened no matter who came along on this mission. Just imagine, you could be huddled under this table with Dr Parrish right now. Think of all the inane botany facts you could be learning!"

"Yeah, I guess the company could be worse," Evan admitted carefully.

Olivia's heart skipped a beat. That was the nicest thing he had said to her in months. They were crouched together so close that Olivia could smell his aftershave. The familiar scent hadn't registered at first, now it filled her nostrils, comforting her during what was still a scary situation.

"Well I wouldn't want to be stuck under here with anyone else," she said boldly, meeting his eyes squarely.

"Don't look at me like that," he said quickly.

"Like what?"

"You know what I'm talking about. That isn't going to happen again between you and I. It can't happen."

"But-"

"No, Liv. I don't hate you but I haven't forgiven you either. That's still going to take time."

"How much time exactly?"

"I don't know. I'll let you know when I'm ready to forgive you, okay. Until then I need you to stop looking at me with those big eyes. Let's just sit here and wait."

Olivia turned her gaze out into the hall. She twisted her hands in her lap. So that was it then. For a second she had thought that maybe she would be able to just kiss him and make him forget about everything she had done. But apparently it wasn't going to be that easy.

"I read your study of the Athosians last night," Evan said, breaking the heavy silence.

"What? How did you get hold of that?"

"Teyla gave a copy to Sheppard to read. It just sat on his desk for days, so I finally decided to borrow it and read it. I thought it was really good."

"Thanks."

The pair fell into silence again. Evan glanced at his watch. Olivia cleared her throat awkwardly. "So. Commander of the Orion, huh?"

"It blew up," Evan replied flatly.

"I know that. I was there when Dr Weir told Chancellor Lycus. Still, it was a pretty big deal to be given command of an Ancient warship."

"She survived thousands and thousands of years and any numbers of battles. I blew her up after a few days in command."

Olivia clicked her tongue impatiently. "You didn't blow anything up, Evan. Radek told me all about it. The ship wasn't ready to go into a battle like that. Your hand was forced."

"Still, I'm not likely to be put in charge of anything bigger than a Jumper any time soon," he replied darkly.

"Jesus, Evan. You destroyed a hive ship! You should really give yourself a little credit this time. _I'm_ really proud of you."

"Thanks."

"That being said, I didn't get to spend much time onboard before the Wraith showed up. I was really looking forward to exploring Orion some more."

"Sorry about that."

Silence reigned again. It appeared they were already caught up on each other's recent exploits. At one time they would have had no trouble coming up with another topic of conversation. Right now they might as well be random strangers trapped under a table together.

"My neck's starting to hurt," Olivia complained, trying to stretch it and only succeeding in banging her head on the underside of the table.

"Let's get out of here then," Evan said. "Make a run for the door. I'll be right behind you."

Oliva swallowed. Maybe staying under the table wasn't such a bad idea. "What happens if the ground starts shaking again?"

"Don't keep running to the door because you might not make it. Just try to get under one of those benches out there."

"Okay. Let's go."

Olivia slid out from under the sanctuary of the table and Evan did the same beside her. She scrambled to her feet and started running down the centre aisle. The ground stayed mercifully still under her and Evan was reassuringly right on her heels.

They reached the door together and Evan helped her pull it open. Coughlin and Reed were a few feet away and they came running over to the pair.

"I thought the whole thing was going to fall on your heads!" Reed said, staring wide-eyed up at the hall.

"Glad to hear you stayed optimistic, Lieutenant," Evan said dryly. "Let's move away from all the buildings. Where is this Governor guy?"

"He hasn't shown up yet. All hell broke loose out here. Some of the wooden buildings sustained more damage," Coughlin reported.

"Let's go and make sure there weren't any injuries," Evan said.

The group set off back the way they had originally been escorted through the village. People were darting back and forth, calling out for family members. Olivia let out a relieve breath and sidled up to Reed. "It got a bit intense in there."

"I bet. You're lucky it was Lorne in there with you. If the roof actually had collapsed he would have thrown himself on top of you to shield you from the debris."

Olivia acutely remembered being wrapped securely in Evan's strong arms. "You wouldn't have done the same to protect me?"

"And risk damage to this face?" Reed asked playfully.

"You're such an idiot," Olivia said, giving him a shove.

He reached over and tugged at her ponytail. "I'm glad you didn't get squashed, Liv. That would have sucked."

"One less person for you to annoy, huh."

Olivia strode off and caught up with Evan and Coughlin. They were heading towards a building where most of the activity was centred. Half of it seemed to have collapsed. The roof was hanging on precariously. Half a dozen men were frantically digging through the debris and calling out names.

"There must be someone trapped in there," Coughlin said.

All four of them started running towards the demolished house. Olivia noticed a woman beside the house crying loudly into her hands. She left the boys to help dig and she went to comfort the distraught woman.

"It's going to be okay," Olivia said softly, resting her hand tentatively on the woman's shoulder.

She looked up at Olivia with dark, wet eyes. "My three children were in the house when the roof fell. No one has been able to get to them. They won't be able to breath under there."

The woman began to sob uncontrollably. A group of villagers came over to comfort her and Olivia pushed her way through the watching crowd to get to Evan. "There's three kids under here somewhere," she reported. "Their mother said they were all somewhere in the house when the roof fell in."

"We can hear them crying," Reed said, nodded towards the portion of the house that was still standing. The roof had half fallen in, blocking off access to the rest of the house. It was now only being held up by the pile of debris.

"If you move any more of that timber the roof will completely fall in," Olivia shrieked urgently.

"We realise that! That's why we told everyone to stop digging and step back." Evan stood up and dusted his hands off on his BDU pants. "So this is what we're going to do. A few of us will support the roof while you make a hole and crawl through and bring the kids out. Okay?"

Olivia blinked up at him. "What? Hang on. You mean me? I crawl through the hole?"

"Yes," Coughlin interrupted patiently. "It'll take most of us here to hold up the roof and you're the smallest."

"It's our only option." Evan seized her elbow and pulled her towards him. "You can do this. You'll be fine."

"You get to be a hero," Reed added helpfully.

Olivia nodded half-heartedly. She didn't have any real desire to be a hero, but she wasn't about to stand by and let three children be crushed to death. "Fine. Just tell me what I need to do."

"Good." Evan released her and whirled around. He pointed to three large men. "You, you and you! Help us hold up the roof while she goes in. The rest of you help her make a hole big enough to crawl through."

Olivia took a step back as the men took up position along the edge of the collapsed roof. With varying grunts of exertion, they all hoisted the roof up above their heads. They had only lifted it about a foot off the debris pile. Olivia and her helpers were going to have to move a fair bit of timber and rubbish out of the way.

"Come on," Olivia ordered, ducking between Evan and one of the villagers. She began to grab bits of timber and throw them to the side, being careful not to hit any of the men standing over her.

"A little faster would be good," Reed panted.

"Okay, okay. Just don't drop the roof on my head please."

"We won't," Evan promised from above her. Despite his assurance, she could hear the strain in his voice. She began to frantically seize bits of wood, feeling splinters slide under her skin as she did so.

"That's it," Olivia announced. "I'm taking a look inside."

She ducked her head through the small hole she made beneath the roof. In the dark ruins she could just make out two crying girls in the corner of the room. The oldest looked to be about seven and the other couldn't be any older than four. Both of them stared up at her with wide, frightened eyes.

Olivia ducked back out quickly. "I can see two of them. They aren't hurt."

This time she shimmied back through with her hand outstretched in front of her. The little girls got to their feet carefully, stepped onto the debris pile and reached out for her. Olivia grabbed the youngest one first and pulled her up towards the hole. She scrambled through, followed closely by her big sister.

"Where's the other one?" Olivia asked the older girl. But she was too traumatised. She howled and ran right past Olivia and into the waiting arms of her mother.

Olivia's heart sank. The other child must not have made it. She poked her head back into the cavity. But she could still hear crying. She wriggled further in and spotted movement in the far corner where the girls had been standing. A tiny hand emerged from a pile of blankets.

Olivia ducked back out again. "God, Evan. It's a baby in there. I'm going to have to go in to get it."

"Hurry. The roof's starting to come apart from the far wall. We won't be able to hold it much longer."

Olivia dove head first through the hole, jagged bits of wood ripping through her jacket as she fell in. She rolled down the debris pile and hit the floor hard. She hoisted herself up and crawled over to the blankets and looked down into the face of a small baby that was only a few months old. It was crying loudly, but it didn't seem hurt at all so she scooped it up gingerly and made her way back to the daylight filtering through the hole she'd made.

"Someone come and take the baby!" she shouted.

A pair of hands appeared through the hole and Olivia stood carefully on the debris and just managed to reach up high enough to hand the baby off. Once the infant was safely outside, she began to clamber up the side of the pile. Unfortunately, her weight made it all shift and loosen and she found herself crashing back to the floor.

"Olivia! Come on!"

"I'm stuck!" she screamed, the gravity of the situation finally pressing in at her from all sides. It was becoming hard to breathe. "I can't get out, Evan!"

She heard indistinct shouting and grunting from above her then a pair of arms appeared, followed by a familiar face. "Take my hands," Evan said calmly.

Olivia reached up but she was a few inches short. Evan's broad shoulders were stopping him coming in any further. Olivia put one foot carefully on a protruding log, testing whether it would hold her weight. It didn't budge so she stepped up onto it and jumped the last inch to grab hold of Evan's fingers.

He began to pull her up and she did her best to scramble along and make it easier for him. Her head emerged into the light and she breathed in the fresh air greedily.

"Sir," Coughlin said croakily from somewhere to her right.

"Sorry about this, Liv."

Olivia barely had to time to register Evan's words before he dropped her hands and grabbed her under both armpits. He gave one last pull and Olivia popped out of the hole, like a cork from a champagne bottle. The momentum sent the two of them rolling backwards down the debris pile. Evan held her in an awkward headlock, protecting her from the sharp bits of wood and furniture they were tumbling over.

They came to a stop on the grass. Olivia finished on top of him, her head buried in his shoulder. Evan didn't loosen his grip and Olivia didn't try to move. They both lay there breathing heavily and holding each other. The loud bang caused by the falling roof made them both jump.

"You all right?" Evan finally asked, his voice soft in her ear.

"I don't know," Olivia admitted. Every part of her was aching now. Tiny scratches all over her body were beginning to sting. Mostly she was sore where Evan's P90 was digging into her sternum. She pressed herself up off him and sat back, straddling his hips. "That's going to be a nasty bruise. I told you that was a dumb place to keep a gun," she said, rubbing at her chest.

Evan grinned up at her. "I'll try to remember to take it off next time I have to come and save your life."

Olivia smiled back at him. She was shaking slightly with adrenalin. She didn't know whether to cry or laugh or kiss him. He was holding her thighs tightly, his fingers digging in more than seemed necessary. Olivia didn't want the moment to end so she kept still.

Someone nearby cleared their throat and Olivia and Evan both turned to see Reed and Coughlin standing not too far away. "Sorry to interrupt. We're fine, in case you were wondering. We didn't get pinned under the roof," Reed said crisply. "So you can both stop worrying now."

"Well don't just stand there and stare at us," Evan snapped. "Help Olivia off me."

"She seems happy right where she is," Reed muttered loud enough for everyone to hear.

Coughlin rolled his eyes and came over to offer Olivia his hand. She really was happy right where she was, but she accepted the offered hand gratefully. He hoisted her to her feet and then did the same for Evan. Olivia looked down at her ruined clothes and grimaced. "That's another uniform I've ruined off-world."

"Why are you worried about your uniform?" Reed demanded, coming over and grabbing her arm. "Your head is bleeding, Olivia."

"It is?" She brought her hand up to feel for an injury but Reed grabbed her wrist. He began digging through one of his vest pockets.

"Don't touch it. It's by your right temple," he informed her. "It doesn't look bad. I'll just clean it and dress it for you so hold still."

Evan joined them, looking worried. "Sorry. I couldn't see the blood before. Is it deep, Reed?"

"It won't need stitches," he answered as he pulled a field dressing and a sealed plastic strip from his pocket.

"Boss, I think the Governor just found us," Coughlin said quietly.

Olivia tried to twist around to see what was going on but Reed grabbed her chin and held her in place. He began to dab at her temple with a sterile wipe and the sudden sting made her hiss through her teeth.

"Governor Nevin, I presume," Evan said.

"Major Lorne? Thank the Ancestors," replied a deep, rumbling voice. "I have been looking everywhere for you. I feared you had been frightened off by the tremor."

"We just helped free some children who were trapped in this house. One of my team members has been injured," Evan said, his tone tense and clipped.

"Thank you for the assistance, friends. It is deeply appreciated. I have a personal healer who will see to your team member if you wish."

"She's being tended to by our team medic already."

"Stop moving, damn it!" Reed said, once again taking hold of Olivia's chin.

"But I want to see what's going on!"

"An old man in purple robes is talking to Lorne. Lorne looks pissed. There. Happy now?"

"No. If he gets angry at the Governor then this whole trip will have been for nothing. Hurry up and just cover the wound. I need to go and play peacemaker."

"Fine." Reed peeled the dressing open and pressed it onto the side of her head firmly.

Olivia elbowed him in the ribs. "_Ow_. Was that necessary?"

"Probably not."

Olivia touched the dressing gingerly and found it didn't hurt all that much yet. Maybe when the adrenalin wore off in a few minutes.

"Shall we go back to the meeting hall?" the Governor asked politely.

Evan shook his head just as Olivia arrived beside him. "My people won't be going into any of your buildings again. They clearly aren't safe."

"The meeting hall has stood for many generations," someone said angrily from behind the Governor.

The old man held up a hand. "It is fine. Our guests can choose to conduct our discussion wherever they like."

"Anywhere that's away from the buildings will be fine," Evan said. "We've had more than enough excitement for today."

"Do you have any objection to talking as we walk around the edge of the village?"

Evan shook his head and the Governor's body language relaxed a little. He gestured them towards the outskirts of the village. Olivia didn't want to do anything to get back on Evan's bad side so she hung back with Reed and Coughlin and let Evan walk alone beside the Governor.

"How often do those tremors happen?" Evan asked finally.

"I'm afraid they are becoming more and more frequent. A strong one struck two moons ago and now smaller ones happen every few days. We have not had time to recover."

"That's a lot of activity in a relatively short period of time."

The Governor Nevin nodded in agreement. "We suffer through the tremors every few generations, but it has never been this bad. We are no longer sure what to do, Major Lorne. Do you truly come to us from the city of the Ancestors?"

"Yes. We are willing to offer any assistance we can."

Olivia couldn't see the Governor's face, but she did see his shoulders slump. The relief in his voice was palpable. "Oh, thank you! I had hoped you would offer to help. I will take you to our sacrificial altar. There you and your people will be most useful."

Olivia stopped walking abruptly. Her three escorts all did the same and their hands dropped to their guns immediately. The Governor stopped once he noticed they were no longer following him. He turned back to them looking perplexed.

"Let's back it up a little," Evan said slowly. "What exactly do you mean by sacrificial altar?"

The Governor tilted his head. "The altar is where we make offerings to the Ancestors," he replied, as if that much should be obvious.

"And how do you expect us to help you with that?"

Olivia looked over her shoulder, trying to find a quick escape route if this all turned bad. Two villagers had followed after the group. They were wearing robes similar to Governor Nevin. They were obviously guards or aides of some sort. They didn't appear to be carrying weapons, but Olivia was glad to see Coughlin was still pointing his gun at them warily.

"I do not understand this sudden turn, Major Lorne. You do not wish to help us anymore?" Governor Nevin asked.

"Listen to me carefully, Governor. None of us will to be offered up as human sacrifice, okay. And you can bet your ass we won't ally ourselves with people who do that sort of thing."

"Human sacrifice? Oh, no! You misunderstand, my friends. We sacrifice our livestock to appease the Ancestors. We would never offer up a human life."

Evan's eyes were narrowed suspiciously. "You realise I can't just take your word for that."

"I will take you to the altar and you will see for yourself then. Come."

No one moved or relaxed. Evan turned to Olivia and gave her a questioning look that she understood immediately. "It's horrible, but animal sacrifice isn't all that uncommon," she answered. "I'm yet to see it happen in Pegasus but it still happens back on Earth and on other Milky Way planets. He could be telling the truth."

"I am telling the truth," Governor Nevin insisted. "Please. The Ancestors have forsaken us and we do not know what we need to do to regain their favour."

"Fine. We'll follow you to the altar," Evan told the Governor. He turned to the team next. "Keep your eyes open. If this mission starts to turn all Temple Of Doom on us then we're hightailing it out of here. Clear?"

Olivia nodded along with Reed and Coughlin. The Governor started walking again and the group followed, a lot more cautious and uncertain this time. Evan pointed a stern finger at Olivia. "You stay close to Reed. Do whatever he says."

"Okay."

Evan hurried to catch up to the Governor, leaving Olivia between Reed and Coughlin. She walked along slowly, all of her senses taut and straining to observe anything out of the ordinary. Reed eventually snatched up her arm and began to drag her along faster.

"Governor, the people we met earlier said you had trouble with your crops this season and that you lost some animals. Can you tell me about that?"

Olivia heard Nevin sigh sadly. "Yes. The big tremor hit just days before we were due to harvest our grains. We lost much of it when the storehouse fell onto the field. Our animals are held in a fenced in area by the forest. A tree fell on the fence and more than half of our herd escaped."

"So you're running low on food?" Evan clarified.

"Sadly, yes. I have sent out hunting parties everyday, but the forest animals around us have scattered in fear."

"You don't grow any other food?" Olivia asked, hoping fervently that Evan wouldn't mind her interrupting. Thankfully, he didn't turn around or stop walking. "It's unusual to find a settlement that only grows grain," she continued.

"We have an orchard full of fruit that won't be ripe for another two moons. But the fruit harvest will be small this year as the shaking caused much of the young fruit to fall and spoil on the ground. Unfortunately, our vegetable crops have not been successful in years. The land no longer seems to provide nourishment for the seeds."

Reed hummed thoughtfully. "What do you think, sir? Could the earthquakes be causing the soil to turn bad?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know something like that, Lieutenant? I grew up on a fault line, that doesn't make me a seismologist."

Olivia hid a smile. Up ahead she could make out a stone structure. Obviously the infamous altar. It looked like a step-pyramid from this distance. As they got closer she could see a pile of grey fur on the top stone. Olivia wrinkled her nose. She had been hoping to live out the rest of her life without ever having to see another slaughtered animal.

"This is it. This is our altar. Is it not sufficient?"

Evan brought the group to a halt a few feet from the pyramid. Upon seeing that there was really only an animal atop the altar, he relinquished his grip on his gun and the other two followed suit. "These animals you sacrifice provide you with food?"

The Governor nodded. "Milk and cheese and meat. What are we doing wrong, Major Lorne? Should we be sacrificing more of them?"

"You're sacrificing too many of them as it is. Your people need those animals."

Olivia's ability to read Evan was still pretty sharp despite their recent estrangement. Right now, he was barely keeping his anger in check. The set of his jaw, a clenched fist, the exaggerated rise and fall of his chest. On the other hand, the Governor looked plaintive and desperate.

"My people need the tremors to stop," he insisted. "When the Wraith cullings became too much for us we pleaded with the Ancestors to help us. They accepted our sacrifices and prostrations and the Wraith have not come for generations."

Evan shook his head, the muscle in his jaw flicking. "The Ancestors didn't help you with that. The Wraith went to sleep for a long time. They do that to give you time to increase in number. They're awake again."

"We heard this from other travellers yet the Wraith still have not come to our world. The Ancestors protect us."

"The Wraith just haven't got to you yet. They'll come and the Ancestors won't protect you. They aren't gods. They were flesh and blood people like you and me."

Olivia finally stepped over and put her hand lightly on Evan's forearm. "I need to speak to you alone, Major."

Evan looked down at her hand then back up to her eyes. "Can't you see I'm a little busy?"

"You're not approaching this the right way," Olivia said bluntly.

Evan raised his eyebrows. He took her by the elbow and drew her away from the group. Once they were at the foot of the altar he bowed his head towards her. "Go ahead and enlighten me. What am I doing wrong now, Dr Meyers?"

Olivia ignored the acidic tone to his voice. "You can't just show up and start telling these people that their gods don't exist. This is all they've had to believe in. They're not the only people in this galaxy who worship the Ancients."

"This isn't my first mission in Pegasus. I know the deal. Normally I don't care, but this is different. This man is throwing away food his people need all because he mistakenly believes the Ancients are still around to help."

"These people probably know about Ascension. They believe the Ancients are still watching over them and protecting them," Olivia said. "We both know that there's the rule about not interfering with humans, but I bet Governor Nevin doesn't know about that."

"I was trying to tell him about it when you interrupted me," Evan hissed.

"That's not what we're here to do. We can't go traipsing around the galaxy telling everyone that their long-held belief systems are wrong. Would you storm into the Vatican and announce that God doesn't exist?"

"This is an entirely different situation. Look, the Jaffa wouldn't be free now if we hadn't revealed the Goa'uld to be false gods."

"The Ancients aren't malicious. Worshipping them as gods doesn't do these people any harm. You don't have the right to tell anyone who or what they should believe in. That's not what the Stargate Program was set up to do."

Evan wanted to say something else. Olivia could see it in his eyes. He seemed to shake it off and straightened up instead. "Your opinion is duly noted, Doctor. I'd appreciate it if you'd let me handle this. If you have an issue with the way I do things, feel free to speak to Dr Weir and Colonel Sheppard when we get back."

Before Olivia could reply, Evan released her elbow and marched back over to the others. She followed, a little stunned by the way the conversation had ended. As an anthropologist, she believed in observing without interfering. She'd altered that view a lot since joining the Program, but she still thought there needed to be line drawn somewhere. Unnecessarily undermining the belief system of an alien society was unforgivable to her. And Evan seemed intent on going right ahead and doing just that.

"I apologise for the interruption, Governor. It won't happen again."

Olivia's face was burning when she rejoined the group. She stood off to Reed's side and schooled her expression into one of nonchalance.

"Forgive me, Major Lorne, but I cannot so easily accept that the Ancestors have abandoned us. I know not all are flesh and blood as you say."

"That's true," Evan conceded. "But they can't control the tremors. Your planet is causing them. We can't do anything to stop them either but we can try to help you in other ways."

Nevin frowned, obviously trying to make sense of this new information. "Our own planet causes the tremors?"

Evan pinched the bridge of his nose wearily. "Right. There's these big shifting plates under the surface of the planet. These plates move around and sometimes they collide or one slides underneath another one. That causes the tremors you experience."

The Governor stared blankly. "He's not going to understand a word of that," Olivia intoned helpfully.

Evan ignored her. "Your village is probably built on a spot where two of these plates meet. All we have to do is relocate you to another spot on the planet."

"Relocate?" Nevin gasped, looking aghast. "This is where our people have always lived. We cannot leave. Our dead are buried here. Our first Governor built the meeting hall many generations ago."

"The tremors won't stop. Eventually one will destroy the whole village and people will die."

The bluntness of Evan's statement seemed to ruffle the Governor's previously subservient nature. Anger flared in his eyes. "So you will not help us as you initially offered?"

Evan's eyes flared right back. "I told you what we were willing to do for you. If we help you rebuild your houses, they will fall again and we won't risk any of our people getting trapped. The timber you get from the forest here is obviously too weak to build with."

"We will not leave this area," Nevin said firmly.

"Then we can't help you."

Olivia stepped between the men. "What Major Lorne means to say is that we'll send some experts back to discuss other options with you."

"No. Major Lorne means exactly what he just said. No one will be coming back to this planet because it isn't safe. End of story."

"I would like you to leave now," the Governor said, drawing himself up to his full height.

"Sir," Coughlin said quietly.

Olivia turned to see the guards from earlier approaching them. They no longer looked unassuming and innocent. Each held a small sharp blade in their hand and the robes seemed to be disguising considerable muscle mass.

"We're leaving," Evan said quickly. "There's no need for the theatrics, Governor. I'm sorry you refused to accept our help. The city of Atlantis could offer you many resources if you were willing to co-operate with us."

"The Ancestors will protect us as they always have," Nevin said confidently.

Evan gestured to his men. "Let's move out. Back to the Gate, guys."

Olivia stayed put, appalled at the sudden turn of events. "But aren't we-"

"Just start walking," Reed advised her quickly.

"But these people need our help!"

Evan and Coughlin had already started walking away. Reed put his arm around Olivia's shoulders and drew her away from the Governor and his guards. "Relax, Liv, Lorne will send a science team back for sure. He's not heartless. I haven't seen him that pissed off in a while though. That's quite a talent you have there."

"I think things were just getting back to normal between us," Olivia said, eying the rigid lines of Evan's back. "I went and ruined everything. _Again_."


	14. Naked dancing

A/N: Hi there! Thanks for the wonderful reviews. So I guess you could call this chapter a cross-over. I've tried to delicately weave Olivia's plotline in with that of the SG-1 episode 'The Pegasus Project'. I couldn't resist writing Daniel. And I also figured it was time for a little Lorne whump. Relax, read and enjoy!

* * *

Olivia was sitting alone in the mess hall, her entire table covered in papers and books. One hand was typing away furiously at her laptop as the other shovelled mac and cheese into her mouth. Stopping for lunch wasn't an option today. There was too much to get done and the Odyssey was getting closer.

"You do realise you aren't in your lab, Doc."

Olivia looked up at Stackhouse, a forkful of pasta suspended in mid-air. "I'm very busy, Sergeant. I have to get this done before Dr Jackson arrives, so if it's all the same to you, I'd like to eat alone today."

Stackhouse just frowned down at her. "I wasn't coming to join you. Why would I want to do that?"

"What do you want then?"

"Reed says he's been keeping you updated on the Odyssey's progress?"

Olivia grew impatient and turned back to her laptop and continued typing with one hand, her mac and cheese forgotten for the moment. "Yeah, he has. What of it?"

"He went off-world this morning."

"And?"

"He asked me to keep you updated while he was away."

"_And_?"

"And the Odyssey's touching down in about fifteen minutes."

Olivia dropped her fork, sending pasta spraying everywhere. "Shit, Stackhouse! You couldn't have just said that in the first place?"

"I could just as easily not have told you at all," he pointed out sharply. "I'm not your errand boy, Meyers."

Olivia didn't register what he said, only that the front of her uniform was now covered in elbow macaroni. "Double shit! Now I have to go and change first. Daniel's gonna regret ever sending me here."

Stackhouse folded his arms and sighed. An uncharacteristic look of pity appeared to soften his features momentarily. "Look, you go change and I'll take all this crap back to your lab."

Olivia clasped her hands together and looked up at him with wide, grateful eyes. "You'd do that for me?"

"Yeah but don't go making a big deal out of it," he replied roughly. "Go put on a new uniform and by the time you get to the Gateroom, your boss will probably already be there being greeted by all the senior staff."

"Actually, McKay's still my boss for another twenty-three days," Olivia said darkly, scowling as she picked macaroni from her clothes. "Daniel's the whole reason I'm here though. So if I do something stupid it reflects badly on him."

"Then don't show up with your lunch all over you. Go!" Stackhouse snapped.

Olivia jumped to her feet at the order. "Thank you! I owe you one, Sergeant."

Stackhouse just rolled his eyes and began to gather up the papers strewn all over the table. Olivia slapped him on the shoulder and made for the door at a run. She'd have just enough time to put on a fresh uniform then make her way to the Gateroom to witness the arrival of SG-1 on Atlantis. The whole base had been buzzing for days. SG-1 had legendary status in the Program and their visit had been greatly anticipated by everyone.

Olivia had been excited to see Daniel and show him around Atlantis. That was until he had emailed ahead and asked her to gather together all the information she could find to do with two planets named Castiana and Sahal. She had come up with absolutely nothing. She was supposed to be the resident expert on the Ancients and their database and she had managed to be of no use at all to Daniel.

Ducking into a transporter, Olivia attempted to smooth her hair down a little. She knew she looked tired and unkempt at the moment, mainly because Reed kept informing her of the fact. She'd been too excited and busy to get much sleep over the last two weeks. She wanted to be able to show Daniel that her time on Atlantis hadn't been wasted.

Olivia exited the transporter and ran down the corridor towards her room. Word seemed to have spread that SG-1's arrival was imminent because everyone she passed was chatting excitedly and heading in the opposite direction. Olivia swiped her hand over the access panel to her room and almost tripped in her haste to get inside. She immediately shrugged off her jacket and began to unbuckle her belt.

Luckily she realised the door was still open before she actually dropped her pants. The door slid shut and she shimmied out of her pants and hopped over to grab another pair from her dresser. She didn't have any other clean jackets handy so she was just going to have to make do with her blue t-shirt.

Once her new uniform pants were on, Olivia snatched up her brush and pulled it through her hair haphazardly. If anything it only made her curls look wilder. But she didn't have time to worry about that. The Odyssey would have docked by now and her passengers would be disembarking.

Olivia couldn't resist a grin. Daniel was going to love Atlantis, that much she was sure of. She couldn't wait to show the city off to him and point out all the features she had discovered on her travels around the place. Not to mention the database. He was going to _love _the database. She felt like a kid at Christmas and she had a sneaking suspicion that Daniel would be feeling exactly the same way.

"Olivia? Where are you?" a voice in her earpiece enquired.

"I'm just leaving my quarters, Em. I'm on my way to the Gateroom now. Are they there yet?"

"Not yet," her friend answered, "but there's a crowd building."

"I'm on my way!"

Olivia burst out of her room and shut the door behind herself. She merged in with the flow of personnel and ended up jammed into a transporter with five other people. The group emerged into one of the corridors off the Gateroom. Olivia could hear voices and made her way towards them.

The Gateroom was pretty full. Everyone was milling around, eager to catch a glimpse of the visitors. Dr Weir stood at the top of the stairs with Sheppard and McKay a few feet behind her. Someone grabbed Olivia's hand and she spun to see Emma grinning excitedly.

"Cutting it a little close, aren't you?" she asked.

"I had a macaroni mishap," Olivia answered. "Have they arrived?"

Emma nodded. "Dr Weir just told us they're making their way here now. Nervous?"

"A little bit. It's been a long time since I saw Dr Jackson and I can't help but worry that he's going to be disappointed with the lack of progress I've made."

"You've done your best," Emma said, giving her a reassuring pat on the arm.

"Sophie didn't want to come and greet the team?"

"I couldn't drag her out of the lab, as usual. I wouldn't miss this for the world though."

Olivia smiled knowingly. "You've come along just to check out Colonel Mitchell."

Emma feigned a look of surprise. "Colonel Mitchell, you say? Oh, is he a good looking man? I wasn't even aware of that."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "Yeah right. Just remember that if you do anything embarrassing I'm going to pretend that I don't know you."

"Noted."

A ripple of excitement spread through the crowd and Olivia rose up onto her tiptoes to see SG-1 enter the Control Room. Colonels Mitchell and Carter looked out over the crowd and seemed to be startled by the amount of people crammed into the Gateroom to see them. Vala Mal Doran trailed behind them, smiling brightly down at the personnel spread before her.

Daniel was the last to enter. He was staring up at the ceiling, oblivious to the crowd below him, oblivious even to Colonel Carter, who he walked right into.

Mitchell waved at the crowd of onlookers and said, "Hi there, folks."

"Sorry about all the extra attention," Dr Weir spoke up, stepping forward to shake hands with the colonel. "We don't get many distinguished visitors from Earth. The novelty will wear off soon."

"Not a problem, ma'am," Mitchell replied smoothly.

Sheppard stepped forward next and waved a dismissive hand at the Gateroom crowd. "That's enough gawking. Don't you people have important work to do?"

Olivia wasn't going anywhere without speaking to Daniel first. Everyone else reluctantly began to disperse. Emma grumbled and stomped off with the crowd, giving Olivia a clear path towards the steps. Sheppard was briskly handling introductions between the two groups. Daniel was standing off to the side, turning slowly in a circle as he surveyed the chamber with impossibly wide eyes.

Olivia watched him for a second, remembering her own first moments inside Atlantis. She had pretty much done the exact same thing for five minutes, till she got too dizzy and a Marine had to grab hold of her arm to stop her falling over.

"Daniel?"

His eyes reluctantly slid down. It took him a moment to recognise her, then his face broke into a smile. "Olivia! This place!"

Grinning herself, she jogged up the stairs. She inexplicably wanted to hug him, but they didn't have that sort of relationship and Daniel wasn't really a hugger anyway. He'd probably get embarrassed. She settled for shaking his hand enthusiastically. "I know. The spires!"

"Yeah. My God, the stain glass windows!"

Olivia nodded exuberantly. "Better than any church I've ever been in. There's a spectacular one a few levels down. The afternoon sun will be filtering through it in another hour or so."

A siren blared suddenly, drawing both of their attention to the Control Room. "Unscheduled off-world activation," a technician announced.

"Receiving Lieutenant Edison's IDC," another said.

"Lower the shield," Dr Weir said immediately.

Olivia turned back to Daniel, only to find his blue eyes fixed on the glowing Gate. He began to walk down the stairs to get a closer look and Olivia followed after him. "Amazing isn't it?"

"A Pegasus Stargate," Daniel said softly, unable to take his eyes off it. "It's so much more elegant than the Milky Way ones. I need to take photos of this."

Daniel began fishing around in one of his pockets. Olivia pulled him aside just as Lt Edison and his team materialised through the event horizon. The men all gave the pair confused looks then made their way up the stairs to talk to Weir and Sheppard.

"I couldn't find anything about the planets you asked me to research," Olivia said, feeling embarrassed to even admit it.

"That's okay. Dr Weir came up empty handed as well. After the briefing, she's going to take me to use the holo room. Apparently that'll be the best way to access the database on my first foray."

"The holo room?" Olivia repeated, unable to keep the longing out of her voice.

The room was rarely used due to the power required to run the interactive program. Many months ago, she'd put her name down on the waiting list to get access, but just about every other member of the expedition was ahead of her. She wasn't going to get a chance to use it before she left.

Daniel gave her a quick look over his shoulder then began snapping pictures of the Gate. "Yeah. Did you want to tag along? I'd welcome any insight you could give me."

Olivia once again fought the urge to hug him. "I'd be happy to accompany you to the holo room. How long will the briefing take?"

Daniel shrugged. "An hour maybe."

"Jackson!" Colonel Mitchell shouted from the Control Room. "Get back up here. We've got work to do before you can go sightseeing."

Daniel sheepishly returned his camera to his pocket and jogged back up the stairs with Olivia. "Sorry, Cam, I couldn't resist checking out the active Gate."

"Yeah, well Dr Weir wants us to wait in the conference room for her. She's got an issue to deal with then she'll join us."

"All right." Daniel turned to Olivia. "Come back in about an hour and we'll go to the holo room with Dr Weir."

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

Olivia turned and began to head back down the stairs. She'd have a bit of time to get some more work done before she presented anything to Daniel. She was halfway down the stairs when someone called her name.

Surprised, her head whipped around to where Dr Weir was huddled with Sheppard, McKay and Edison. She approached the group tentatively, curious as to why Dr Weir would call her over.

"Dr Meyers, we could use your help with something," she said simply.

"Who knew the historian would actually come in handy?" McKay said, rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

Sheppard glared at him then turned to Olivia. "There's a situation off-world."

She blinked at him stupidly. Since when was she in the 'situation' loop on Atlantis. "What do you want from me?"

"It's a delicate matter," Dr Weir answered. "I saw you talking to Dr Jackson and realised you'd probably be the best person to send along to negotiate."

"Negotiate?" Olivia echoed. She didn't have time to negotiate trade agreements today, not when there was an opportunity to use the holo room with Daniel. Besides, she was pretty sure she'd be crap at it.

Sheppard nodded crisply. "Major Lorne's team and one of the scientists have been taken prisoner."

Olivia's stomach dropped to somewhere around her knees. "Prisoner?"

"We need you to go and negotiate their release."

"But I'm not a negotiator!" Olivia said quickly. "Why can't you go, Colonel?"

"I've told the colonel to sit this one out," Dr Weir answered on his behalf. "If Teyla weren't currently off-world visiting our allies I'd send her. From what Lt Edison has reported, it's going to be much better if we send through a team of women only. We're dealing with a matriarchal society this time."

Olivia's eyes widened. As far as she knew the expedition hadn't encountered a matriarchal society in Pegasus so far. "Amazonian?" she asked.

Lt Edison shook his head and stepped forward to speak. "They were more like hippies. But they did have bows and these wicked looking sticks."

"I'm thinking they sound more like a Wiccan coven," Dr Weir said.

Olivia nodded thoughtfully. That would be something she hadn't dealt with before. "What makes you think that?"

"Naked dancing."

Olivia's head snapped back to Sheppard. "Excuse me?"

"That's how the trouble started," he said, a hint of a smile on his face. "The team stumbled upon some sort of ritual that involved women dancing around naked. Somehow the dancers spotted them and took exception to their presence."

"So they're being held prisoner because they got caught spying on naked women?"

"That's about the long and short of it."

Olivia let out a loud breath. "And these women won't release them to us?"

"They're refusing to," Edison said. "They wouldn't even let my team check on them. I get the feeling they _really_ don't like men. I think they're eager to devise their own punishment and carry it out very soon."

"I've radioed the infirmary and Dr Cole is on her way to the Gateroom already," Dr Weir said.

"And I've got three female Marines on their way to the armoury right now," Sheppard added. "I'm going to monitor things from back here. I'll have a few more teams ready to come through if Cadman says the negotiations aren't working."

Olivia's eyes drifted towards the conference room. "Okay. We leave right now?"

"We can't waste any time. If these women are set on punishing the team without any sort of trial then we need to get there ASAP."

"Look, can you bring my people home or not?" Sheppard asked, staring Olivia down from beneath his trademark tousled hair.

Olivia met his gaze steadily. "I can bring your guys back but they could clearly use a class in tact and cultural sensitivity."

"And sexual harassment by the sound of it," McKay piped up.

"We all appreciate your expertise, Dr Meyers," Dr Weir said, giving both men sharp looks. "We have to attend a briefing with SG-1 now, but Lt Edison can give you some more information before the others arrive. Check in with the Control Room every half hour to update Colonel Sheppard on the situation."

"Bring them back in one piece," Sheppard said under his breath as he passed Olivia on his way towards the conference room.

* * *

Olivia hadn't been off-world since visiting the earthquake planet with Evan's team a month ago. In the end, Governor Nevin and his people had agreed to relocate after Dr Weir met with him. The eventual outcome had been positive, but the experience left Olivia feeling disheartened. She had opted to take her name out of the off-world rotation, realising that she no longer had a desire to venture into the Pegasus galaxy. It seemed hell-bent on killing her. The planets in the Milky Way had treated her much nicer.

Stepping through the Gate this time was a terrifying experience. As soon as Olivia set foot on the planet, she found a sharp, gleaming arrow aimed at her throat. A row of archers stood around the Gate in a semi-circle, the Marines flanking her raised their guns automatically in response.

"This is a great start to the proceedings," Lt Cadman muttered from beside her.

Olivia tried her best not to look intimidated. "We're not here to harm you," she said loudly and clearly, raising her hands to show she didn't have a weapon. "We know that you're holding four men here and we wish to discuss their possible release. I promise no one will hurt you."

"Then lower your weapons," one of the archers said.

"You first," Cadman retorted, tightening her grip on her P90.

"It's okay," Olivia said, putting a reassuring hand on Cadman's taut forearm. "Lower your guns. They won't hurt us either."

Cadman hesitated then slowly lowered the barrel of the gun and gestured for the other Marines to do the same. Some of the tension eased and Olivia took a careful step forward. "We need you to release our men back to us."

One of the women lowered her bow and stepped forward as well. Olivia could understand Edison's description of them as hippies. The woman was wearing a long pale green dress and had a circlet of wild flowers on her head. She would have looked pretty and ethereal if it wasn't for the scowl on her face.

"Your men broke our laws and therefore they will be punished according to our laws. Return to your home," the woman said firmly. "If you wish, we will send their bodies through to your world once we are done."

Cadman's P90 was back up in a flash. "Whoa, lady! You're going to kill them?"

"No one's going to be killing anyone today," Olivia said quickly, stepping in front of the lieutenant and her gun.

"The Council is still deliberating on their fate," the woman said. "They interfered with a sacred ritual and have shown no remorse for their actions. Putting them to death is the fitting punishment."

"Like hell it is," Cadman growled. "If anything happens to those men you'll regret it."

Olivia could feel the tension ratchet back up a few notches. A twitch of a finger would send arrows and bullets flying thick and fast. She had to do something to move things forward.

"We have been sent to speak to the Council on behalf of the men," she said quickly, thinking on her feet. "They can't be expected to speak in their own defence. They're only men, after all."

The woman narrowed her eyes, clearly evaluating Olivia's sincerity. She seemed to pass the test because the woman nodded. "I will take you to see Mara. Though I doubt it will do your men any good."

"All the same, we appreciate the opportunity to try," Olivia said.

"Right." Cadman finally lowered her weapon and turned to the Marine beside her. "Stay here and keep an eye on the Gate. I'll radio you soon and you'll need to dial home and relay our SITREP. Got it?"

The Marine nodded crisply and stood at attention, her P90 held to her chest. Olivia was immensely relieved to see the archers all lower their arrows to point at the ground. The woman in the green dress started walking away and Olivia, Cadman, Dr Cole and the other Marine followed in her wake.

The village they were walking towards was surprisingly large and well-designed. Perhaps these women weren't as primitive and earthy as they appeared to be. They certainly had a touch of Xena about them though.

"Does it always go like this?" Dr Cole asked softly.

Olivia looked over to see she looked alarmingly pale. "Not usually."

"Don't get off-world much?" Cadman guessed.

"Occasionally. But I've only ever been to clinics we've set up on friendly planets. No one's ever threatened to shoot me."

"Don't worry," Olivia said. "I think I've worked out my angle. I'll play along with the whole men-are-idiots thing they seem to subscribe to around here."

"What do you mean by 'play along'? Men _are_ idiots," Cadman said. "Especially these four. I mean, seriously, who gets caught perving on naked women and thrown in jail for it? Idiots!"

Olivia had a sneaking suspicion all wasn't well between Cadman and Dr Beckett but since it was none of her business she didn't pry. Their escort led them towards a small building on the outskirts of the village. She stopped in front of the door and turned back to wait for the group to catch up.

The woman held out her hand towards Cadman. "You will not be allowed to take your weapons into the prison. I must take them from you now."

"Not a chance." Cadman clutched her P90 to her chest defiantly.

"We don't exactly have a choice here," Olivia said out of the corner of her mouth.

"I'm not going to arm these crazies with automatic firearms. Sheppard would lose his shit."

"But then you won't be able to come in with us," Dr Cole said shakily. "I'd really prefer it if you came in with us. Weapons or not."

Cadman groaned impatiently. "Fine. Then Corporal Sloane can stay out here with my weapons as well as her own."

Begrudgingly, she handed over her sidearm, which Sloane slid into the waistband of her pants then she handed over the P90. "You must take that off as well," the hippie woman said, indicating Cadman's TAC vest. The lieutenant glared but obliged by unzipping the vest and shrugging out of it. "Good. You have no other weapons? Because you will be searched once you enter the prison."

Cadman rolled her eyes and stooped down to lift her pant leg. She unclipped a small knife sheath that was attached to her calf. She transferred it to Corporal Sloane's leg then straightened. "There? Happy now?"

The woman knocked sharply on the door then walked away without saying another word. "She was a real ray of sunshine," Cadman mumbled. "Listen up, Sloane. If I give the word, I want you to storm in with your guns blazing. Do the same thing if you don't hear from me every ten minutes, okay."

"Understood."

The door opened in front of them and another hippie woman in a long dress peered out at them curiously. "We've come to speak to Mara about the men being held in this prison," Olivia said.

The woman smiled warmly at them. "Come in, friends. She will be eager to meet you."

Olivia exchanged a glance with Cadman. This was a different reaction. They entered the prison and found little to no furniture in the room. Six women of varying ages sat cross-legged in a circle on the floor. Across the room, two more women armed with long sticks stood beside a door which presumably led to the prison cells.

"We've come to speak to Mara," Cadman said, looking around the circle of women.

Olivia's eyes had settled on the oldest woman and she wasn't surprised to see her stand up and approach them. She looked to be about fifty and her grey-blonde hair cascaded to her lower back. "I am Mara. Welcome to Vastia."

Olivia bowed her head politely. "Thank you for granting us an audience at such short notice. My name is Olivia and this is Laura and Amanda."

"We are always happy to engage with sisters from other worlds. Do you come from Atlantis, as the men say?"

"We do. We've been sent to bring the four men home and apologise for the intrusion on their behalf."

"Your men have not been so quick to apologise for their actions," Mara said gravely.

"They don't know any better. They're our muscle, plain and simple. It's not within them to think before they act and to consider the consequences of their actions. We will take responsibility for them and punish them appropriately back on Atlantis."

"I'm afraid it is not that simple," Mara said, causing Olivia's hopes of a speedy resolution to fade. "They witnessed our annual harvest ceremony, which is forbidden to be viewed by the eyes of men. Our prayers to the Goddess have been desecrated so much so that I fear we will not have a successful harvest this season."

Cadman gave her a sideways glance and Olivia nodded imperceptibly. This was sounding bad. "Can the ceremony not be performed again?" she asked, already fearing what the answer would be.

Mara shook her head. "It must be done today when the sun is at its highest point. That time has now passed and the Goddess has not received our offering of song. I'm afraid the crime is one we cannot overlook. We are discussing a fitting punishment now," she said, gesturing to the women assembled on the floor.

Olivia took a deep breath to calm herself down. The situation sounded fairly straight forward to her. These women believed Evan and his team had deliberately interrupted their important ceremony. They were set on handing out their own punishment, which meant Olivia was out of her league here. Dr Weir would be best to deal with the proceedings.

But she knew she had to at least check on the team before returning to Atlantis.

"Mara, can we be taken to see the prisoners? We need to make sure they're all right. You understand that, don't you?"

Mara nodded after a moment's consideration. "I will let you see them, for what little good it will do. Their fate is already sealed."

Cadman opened her mouth to say something, but Olivia seized hold of her arm quickly. "We understand and thank you for your generosity. All we ask is that you allow us to speak to them one last time. They deserve to know that we came for them."

Mara nodded towards the guards by the door. "You will all be searched before you enter the cells. It is merely a formality, sisters."

The guards both put aside their weapons and advanced on the three outsiders. Cadman bristled and looked as if she was ready to put up a fight, but her common sense won out and she submitted to the search. One of the guards grabbed Dr Cole's medical kit and began rifling through it, removing the needles, scalpels and anything else she perceived to be a threat.

"I might need those instruments," Dr Cole said softly, looking horrified to see her kit being dismantled.

"Let's hope you don't need anything that drastic, Doc."

Olivia nodded in agreement as the hippie guard finished patting down Cadman then moved on to her. It was a very thorough search, which made Olivia grateful that none of them had tried to smuggle in any weapons. Once they were all found to be clean, the remainder of the medical kit was returned to a relieved Dr Cole.

"Come, I will take you through to the cells myself," Mara said, leading them towards the door.

Cadman paused briefly to radio a message through to Corporal Sloane outside. Once the situation was relayed, she joined the group and stepped in front of Olivia to take the lead into the cells.

"I can't believe I was just frisked by a woman wearing a daisy chain," Dr Cole commented.

Cadman tossed her a grin back over her shoulder. "Welcome to Pegasus, Doc."

Olivia hid a smile of her own. It certainly was an interesting galaxy. She was going to miss it.

Mara opened the door and led them into a long corridor. "Your men are well for the moment but once we decide on an appropriate punishment it must be carried out before sun down."

Olivia grimaced. That wasn't a lot of time to go back to Atlantis and bring Dr Weir through to take over negotiations. "That's very quick, Mara. They aren't given a chance to plead their innocence?"

"How can they claim to be innocent? They were captured while watching the ceremony through the trees. That is not in dispute."

"We have a saying back on our world," Cadman said. "Wrong place, wrong time. That's what happened here."

"So you say, but they have not apologised for the intrusion, which leads us to believe it was deliberate on their part. The punishment will be fitting," Mara replied solemnly.

Olivia kept her mouth shut and hoped that Cadman would do the same. Neither of them had the patience and skill to negotiate such delicate territory. If they argued the appropriateness of any punishment, they could very well make the whole situation worse.

The group emerged in front of the prison cell. It was only small and held no furniture except a bench along the back wall. The iron bars made it look like any prison back on Earth. Inside, Coughlin sat on the bench beside a small man Olivia recognised as Dr Singh. For some reason, Evan was lying in the middle of the floor with Reed kneeling beside him.

A guard holding a compact but lethal looking crossbow was aiming it inside the cell. Her arm twitched when Reed leapt to his feet and ran to the bars.

"Thank God!" he said. "It's about damn time. We need to get out of here. Lorne's hurt."

Olivia's heart seized. Her eyes sought out Evan's supine form. His eyes were closed but his chest was rising and falling steadily. "Hurt? Hurt how?"

"He got into a scuffle with one of those psychos. She gave him a good whack on the head with one of those sticks," Reed replied quickly. He turned to Dr Cole. "I'm pretty sure he's got a concussion. The bleeding has stopped but I have no way to dress the wound. They emptied my pockets and took my vest."

Cadman was first to react. She turned and confronted Mara. "What the hell is your problem? This is your idea of _well? _One of them has a head injury. They are not all well!"

The guard swung the crossbow around to aim it at Cadman's chest. Olivia looked back down at Evan. Now that she looked closely she could see that the jacket he was using as a pillow was stained with blood. Quite a bit of blood.

"He's in and out, Liv. He needs help but they're refusing to give any. We have to get him back to the city," Reed said.

Behind her Mara was defending her actions to an irate Cadman. "He resisted and was dealt with. Any injury he suffered was by his own doing."

Olivia's pulse was thrumming loudly in her ears. Things were moving in slow motion. Reed started talking again. "That's not what happened! The women wanted to kill Dr Singh on the spot and Lorne intervened. No one resisted!"

Olivia's vision was tunnelling. All she could see was Evan lying on the floor. She had heard the term white-hot anger used before but she had never fully appreciated it. Now she understood. There might as well have been molten lava flowing through her veins. Her hands clenched into fists at her side and her jaw became so tight that her teeth started grinding together unpleasantly.

In one swift movement she spun and shoved Cadman aside. She stepped up so she was right in Mara's face. In the background she was vaguely aware of Cadman protesting and the guard now pointing an arrow at her own rampant heart.

"You refused that man medical treatment?" Olivia asked, her voice coming out as a low growl.

"He is a prisoner, not a free villager entitled to care," Mara said simply, not looking as if she was worried about justifying her actions.

"If he dies because you refused him treatment, the retaliation from my people will be swift and brutal," Olivia replied, her eyes blazing. "He's an important man. All of the military forces of Atlantis will be brought to bear on your village. Many more soldiers like Laura will storm through the Gate and overwhelm your own warriors in minutes."

"Actually, Doc, we probably wouldn't need to go to all that trouble," Cadman interrupted. "I'm sure Dr Weir would authorise the use of one of our ships. We could blow the village away from space and be home in time for dinner."

Mara looked between the two women cautiously. She didn't seem convinced yet. Olivia narrowed her eyes threateningly. "Listen carefully. I will say this once and only once. Allow Amanda into the cell or we will be forced to return to Atlantis where your ill treatment of these men will be regarded as an act of aggression."

"I do not want you as an enemy," Mara said sincerely.

"Damn right you don't," Cadman snapped.

"Then open the cell door for us."

Mara hesitated for a moment. Olivia held her ground, her entire body overheated and strained by the sudden rush of anger. If she stopped to consider the best course of action she was worried she'd lose her nerve. There was so much more at stake now. If Evan didn't get back to Atlantis soon…

"Only you and the healer may go in," Mara agreed eventually.

Olivia nodded impatiently and gestured towards the cell door. "Let's hurry it up then."

Mara stuck her hand down the front of her dress and pulled out an iron key on a chain that hung from her neck. She unlocked the door and once Olivia and Dr Cole stepped through she resealed it behind them. Olivia stayed by the door and stared at Evan, not sure how she could help in this situation. Dr Singh seemed to be having the same problem. He didn't move from the bench or even acknowledge the presence of the rescue party.

Coughlin jumped off the bench and rushed to Dr Cole's side. "What are you doing here, Amanda?"

"I wanted to make sure you were all right."

"I'm fine. Lorne's not so good though."

"I'll take a look at him and we'll go from there," Dr Cole said briskly.

She knelt quickly beside Evan and began digging through her bag. Olivia was frozen in place. She was used to seeing Evan calm and steady and in charge. He looked young and vulnerable lying in the middle of the floor.

Reed knelt beside Dr Cole and watched her pull out a small flashlight. "I don't know much about head injuries, Doc. When he's awake he's coherent though, so I figure that's a good sign."

"That is a good sign," she confirmed. She lifted Evan's eyelids in turn and shone the light into his eyes. "His pupils are even and reactive. Another good sign."

The attention caused Evan to groan. He began to stir and Olivia pulled herself together and joined the circle of people around Evan. She crouched by his feet and bit her lip as he groaned again and opened his eyes slowly.

"Welcome back, boss," Coughlin said.

"Ow," was all Evan said. Then his eyes focussed on the face hovering above him. "That you Amanda? Is the cavalry here?"

"It's here," Olivia answered.

The reaction was immediate. Evan tried to sit up to see her. "_Olivia_?" he hissed. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Lie down," Dr Cole ordered. She and Reed both pushed his shoulders back down.

Olivia scooted closer and leant over so that he could see her without sitting up. She smiled reassuringly. "Dr Weir and Colonel Sheppard sent me to get you out of here."

"_You're_ the cavalry?" Evan demanded. "They sent an anthropologist to get us out of here? Just great."

Olivia rocked back on her heels. That wasn't exactly the reaction she was expecting. Her face burned as everyone stared at her. Dr Cole gave her a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry, Olivia. Irritability is a symptom of a concussion. He'll be back to normal soon."

"Irritable and snarky _is_ normal for him," Olivia replied, quickly shrugging off the feeling of rejection. She'd become pretty accustomed to it over the last few months. "Although a little gratitude wouldn't go astray, Major. I did drag my ass all the way out here to rescue you."

"And how are you planning to get us out of here?" Evan asked pointedly, ignoring her initial assessment of his character.

"Just let Dr Cole examine you and leave that up to me," Olivia said briskly. She got to her feet and steeled her expression before turning around to Mara.

"Do you see what I mean?" Mara said, raising a smug eyebrow. "They are showing no remorse whatsoever. How are we supposed to interpret that?"

"So if they apologise you'll let them go?" Olivia asked.

"We didn't _do_ anything to apologise for!" Reed insisted in the background.

"An apology will go some way to lessening the punishment we hand down."

Olivia sighed. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. "You must at least let the injured man go. He needs to receive medical treatment back at our city."

"I'm not going anywhere without my team," Evan said adamantly from the floor. "We all leave or no one leaves."

"May we speak in the other room, Mara?" Olivia asked politely. Evan and the others were just going to make things worse and she already had her work cut out for her.

The older woman unlocked the door and allowed Olivia to slip back out of the cell. She relocked it and handed the key over to her guard. "Keep a close eye on them, Jana. I will send someone else in here to help you."

"Do you want me to come with you?" Cadman asked, sidling up to Olivia.

"Cadman? Is that you?" Evan called out, trying to sit up once again.

"Yeah, I'm here, sir."

"Good. Please tell me you have enough C4 on you to blow a hole in this place."

"Uh, I'm afraid not, sir."

"I'll be fine on my own," Olivia told the lieutenant. "It'll be better if you stay here and make sure everyone keeps their mouth shut. Come and let my know what Dr Cole finds when she finishes her examination."

Cadman nodded obediently and Olivia followed Mara back out into the main room. Everyone was still where they had been when the group had first left the room. The women seated on the floor looked up at Mara expectantly.

"Olivia wishes to speak on behalf of the prisoners. Sisters, in the spirit of good relations between our people and Atlantis, I have agreed to let her speak to us."

Mara joined the group on the floor and Olivia peered down at them awkwardly. She felt like a teacher addressing a class of kindergarteners. "Well, I also hope to established good relations between my people and yours. I believe we can be of help, but that won't be possible if you do not let the four men go immediately."

"They broke our law."

"I realise that, but they aren't familiar with your laws."

"The blue eyed one suggested that if we didn't want to be watched then we should wear clothes. The Goddess will be unable to hear us if we aren't naked during our ceremony."

Olivia winced. Damn it, Evan. "Okay. Again, he's not familiar with your customs. Naked ceremonies don't tend to happen where we come from."

"The blue eyed one is your lover," Mara said. It was a statement, not a question.

Olivia gaped down at her. "Uh, no, definitely not my lover."

"I saw the way you looked at him. Your concern was obvious."

"We have a friendship, that's all. I don't like to see him in pain. Do you really value none of the men in your village?"

"There are no men at all in our village," Mara answered proudly. "We drove them out long ago."

Olivia frowned. "Then how do you have children? I saw some as I was coming to the prison."

"There are a few worlds we visit. The men there are happy for a brief liaison."

"And what if you have a son?"

"Before our sons become men they are sent away to another world where the Wraith have decimated the population. They have good lives there."

It all sounded very extreme. If there were really no men at all in the village then something had to have gone seriously wrong in the past. "Why did you drive away all the men?" Olivia asked.

Mara hung her head momentarily then looked back up. "There was a time when our foremothers were nothing but slaves. The Wraith cullings devastated so much of our society that women eventually became mere possessions to be swapped and bartered amongst the men of our world. One day the women finally rose up and banished the men from the village."

No wonder they hated men. Olivia swallowed thickly. This was part of her job that she really hated. Even a few societies back on Earth still had the same view of women. "I'm very sorry that your foremothers were treated that way. It was very brave of those women to take a stand. I can certainly understand your reluctance to have men in your midst, but what you're doing here is still wrong."

A few of the women began to talk at once, their voices raised in vehement objection. Mara held up a hand and they fell silent immediately. "Your men are no different to those who would subjugate us, Olivia."

"That's where you're wrong," Olivia said, shaking her head firmly. "I know those men well and they aren't like that. Reed, the young soldier in there, he _loves_ women. I thought at first that he was mistreating them but now I know better. He's always kind and respectful. And the healer we brought along is in a relationship with the other uninjured soldier. She wouldn't come all this way if he wasn't a good man."

"And what of the scared little man with no hair? He stared at us the most," one of the women asked.

Olivia smiled. Dr Singh was an entomologist and they were all a bit weird. Preferring the company of bugs to people often led one to lack a little something in social skills. "He's just a scared little man with no hair. I don't know him very well but I can't really see him trying to enslave anyone. Can you?"

"No," Mara admitted. "And what of the other one, the one who is definitely not your lover? You expect me to believe he is a good man? I heard the way he spoke to you."

"He's angry because he's in pain. And he doesn't like it when he's not in complete control of a situation." Olivia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Look, you're going to have to take my word for it. He's a brave and selfless man. I've seen it over and over again. And he definitely doesn't disrespect women. Anything that happened earlier today was a misunderstanding."

"They may in fact be the greatest men who ever lived, but that does not change the fact that they intruded on a sacred ceremony," one of the women said.

"I realise that. I'm not asking that you let them go in exchange for nothing. Atlantis can help you with resources."

"We do have need of more weapons."

Olivia sighed. Why did the primitive civilisations always ask for weapons first? "We can't give you weapons for obvious reasons. Who would you use them against anyway?"

"The men who were sent from the village so long ago set up their own settlement a day's walk from here. Some women chose to go with them so their numbers increase all the time. They attempt to raid us on a regular basis and their army becomes stronger and stronger each time," Mara answered.

The were interrupted then by Cadman entering the room. "How's it going in here?" she asked.

Olivia forced a smile. "I think we might be getting somewhere."

"Good. Lorne needs to get out of here now. Amanda thinks he might have a skull fracture."

Olivia had very little medical knowledge, but she knew enough to realise that anything involving the words skull and fracture was a bad sign. "Can we help him out as he is?" Olivia asked.

Cadman shook her head. "We'll need a stretcher. I've radioed a message through to Atlantis to have a medical team ready to come through once we give the word."

"No one is going anywhere," Mara said calmly from the floor.

"Look, I lied to you earlier. We value all people back at our city and those men in there aren't just muscle and they aren't stupid at all. You obviously have a different view and that's fine," Olivia replied mildly. "I wasn't lying about the rest of it though. The man you injured is second in command of our military. Any mistreatment of him is going to bring retaliation and I won't be able to stop it."

"What do you propose we do then?"

"I'm sure we can come up with something," Olivia said, rubbing her hands together and hoping she looked confident. "Laura, just give us a few more minutes please."

"You've got five, Doc. Then I contact Sheppard."

It turned out Olivia only needed four. She was able to broker a tentative deal with the Council. In return for releasing the team, Olivia agreed that Atlantis would provide any expertise available to help the Vastian women defend their village from the raiders. Maybe even a fly-by in a Jumper to intimidate them into ceasing the raids once and for all. Of course, it was all subject to Dr Weir's approval, but Olivia couldn't see her objecting. They would get the team back and helping these women defeat their ancestral tormenters seemed like a just cause.

They were also worried that their interrupted ceremony would see their crops fail and Olivia assured them that if that happened Atlantis would put them in contact with worlds that had food to trade. Everybody got what they wanted.

"Your men are free to go," Mara said, inclining her head and gesturing towards the cells. "But we must ask that they not step foot on our world again. Any men who you send through must be aware of our situation. I can't say that we'll be so lenient next time."

"That's fair," Olivia agreed. "Our leader is a strong and intelligent woman like yourself. I'll speak to her and make sure she handpicks the people we send through to assist you."

Mara led Olivia back into the cells, where everyone looked up at her expectantly. She smiled serenely. "Piece of cake. Everyone's free to go."

"Finally!" Reed shouted. "Nice work, Liv."

Cadman slapped her on the back. "Yeah, nice work. I'll get the medical team sent through."

Cadman turned to radio a message back to the Gate as Mara unlocked the cell and threw the door open. Dr Singh leapt to his feet and bolted through the door first. Olivia smiled and shook her head. She wouldn't be surprised if he didn't go off-world again for a very long time.

"We'll wait with you, sir," Coughlin said.

"No," Evan said immediately. "You and Reed need to go get our weapons and vests back. Make sure everything's accounted for then head straight back to Atlantis. No arguing either."

Reed's mouth snapped shut and he visibly swallowed his protest. "Yes, sir."

The pair reluctantly left the cell and followed Mara out to retrieve their gear. "The team is on their way with a stretcher, sir," Cadman reported.

"Good. I want you to escort Olivia and Amanda back to Atlantis now. I'll be fine here till the medics show up."

Dr Cole bit her lip, looking torn between wanting to get out of there and not abandoning her patient. "I can't just leave you here, Major. I have to overrule you in this case."

"I'll stay with him," Olivia offered immediately. She expected Evan to argue, but he didn't say anything.

"He's stable and I've given him painkillers," Dr Cole said. "You'll just need to keep him awake. Carson will prefer him to be conscious when he's examining him back at the infirmary."

Olivia nodded crisply. "I can do that."

Cadman gave her a speculative look then turned to Dr Cole. "Well, we've got our marching orders, Doc. Let's get out of here."

Olivia waited till both women had left then she lowered herself to the floor beside Evan's head. He looked up at her with glassy eyes. "They gone?" he asked.

"They're gone."

Evan let out a breath and grimaced. Olivia realised he had been holding himself together in front of everyone. Now that it was just the two of them, she could see the strain around his eyes and mouth. "The painkillers haven't kicked in yet?" she asked softly.

"I don't think they're strong enough to even take the edge off," he replied slowly. "Liv, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean it like that. I'm not angry at you for coming here. Weir and Sheppard made the wrong call. Civilians shouldn't be sent to rescue military teams stuck off-world. It's a dangerous situation that you aren't trained for."

"Yeah? I happen to have a doctorate that says otherwise. This is _exactly_ what I'm trained for and Dr Weir knew it. Sure, Sheppard would have preferred to come, but his presence would have just made things worse. I had the best chance of getting through to these women."

"And you did that and I appreciate it, but I still don't like the idea of you being thrown into a volatile situation like this. If I was in charge that wouldn't have happened."

Olivia smiled down at him. "Then I guess it's lucky that Dr Weir's my boss, not you."

"Thanks for coming to get us out. Even after the way I've been lately."

"It's fine. I would never leave you at the mercy of a hoard of angry women."

Evan frowned thoughtfully. "Yeah, why are they so angry?"

"They have a history of being mistreated by men. It's ingrained this hatred in them that's hard for them to overlook. They aren't bad people."

"Well, the one who hit me in the head was pretty vicious."

"Yeah, well if I ever get my hands on her she'll regret hurting you."

Evan managed a half-smile. "That's very chivalrous of you."

"I try my best. I won't be around for much longer though, so you're going to have to keep yourself out of trouble."

"Twenty-three more days, right?"

Olivia blinked down at him in surprise. "Uh, yeah. You're counting?"

"Of course."

Olivia didn't know what to say so she didn't say anything. Evan reached for her and groped around till he caught hold of her hand. "I'm tired, Liv."

She squeezed his hand. "I know. Just stay awake for a few more minutes."

"No, I mean I'm tired of whatever it is that's going on between us."

"Oh. So am I."

"I want things to go back to the way they were when we first met. I want everything to be easy again."

Olivia's heart began to race. Finally. "So does that mean you forgive me?"

"I will once things go back to the way they were. Back when we were just friends."

That was probably the best she could hope for given the circumstances. "All right. We'll go back to the way things were. I've really missed talking to you."

Footsteps in the corridor signalled the arrival of the medical team. Olivia let go of his hand, knowing that he wouldn't like to be found with her like that. She watched as he gritted his teeth and controlled his expression again. Impulsively, she ducked her head and pressed a quick kiss to his pale, clammy cheek.

The team entered the cell and Olivia backed out to give them room to work. Once they had Evan safely on the stretcher, she led them back out of the prison and towards the Stargate.

* * *

An hour after arriving back on Atlantis, Olivia was sitting on an examination table in the infirmary between Coughlin and Reed. On the other side of the room, a privacy curtain had been drawn around the bed where Dr Beckett was still assessing Evan.

"He's got a really hard head," Reed commented.

He'd said that about three times now. After having their own post-mission checkups, the three of them had sat down and refused to leave the infirmary till there was some news on Evan's condition. Olivia was glad to have the others there with her.

As usual, exciting events had taken place while they were gone, which the nurses had been more than happy to fill them in on.

"It's just my luck that an Ascended Ancient shows up when I'm not around," Olivia muttered darkly. "And not just any Ancient either. Morgan Le Fay, for God's sake!"

"Is that name supposed to mean something to me?"

"Jeez, kid, read a book some time."

"You'd have to make it an order, old man."

Olivia smiled to herself. She felt like Evan would be in good hands when she left. His team mates cared about him and would watch his back. She wasn't naïve enough to hope that he'd never be in danger or get injured, but knowing that he had good people around him comforted her.

Sheppard strode into the infirmary and made a beeline for the trio. "What's the word?" he asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Nothing yet, sir," Coughlin answered. "Beckett's still in with him."

"What the hell happened out there?" he demanded, glaring at his men. "Naked women? Are you guys really that hard up for it?"

Reed smirked. "Not particularly, sir."

"Yeah, well we all know you aren't, Reed. How did one of them get the drop on Lorne in the first place?"

"It was Dr Singh, you know, the bug guy. We were all going to back away slowly, but he freaked out and made a noise. Then he fell over."

"They were on us in a few seconds and they wanted to kill Singh right there and then. Lorne stepped in and he got hit from behind. None of us saw it coming, sir."

Sheppard shook his head. "Idiot scientists." He turned to Olivia quickly. "No offence."

"None taken, Colonel."

Sheppard crossed over to Evan's bed and called out to Dr Beckett. He emerged from behind the curtain, stripping off his latex gloves. Dr Cole followed him out and made her way over to the anxious group.

"He has a linear fracture to the left parietal bone," she reported.

The lump in Olivia's throat burned and she whispered, "That sounds bad."

"It's really the best fracture we could have hoped for. It'll heal without the need for surgery and there shouldn't be any lasting damage to his brain or skull."

Reed put his arm around Olivia's shoulders and hugged her to his side. "See, I told you. Really hard head."

"He's going to have to stay here for a few nights though."

"He won't like that," Olivia said, shaking her head fondly as she imagined him grumbling and complaining the whole time.

Dr Cole grinned at her. "I know he won't, but the nurses always seem to enjoy having him around."

"Is he awake?" Reed asked.

"The morphine knocked him out. He'll probably sleep right through the night now. There's not much point hanging around here any longer."

"I could use some food and a long shower," Coughlin said, sliding off the examination table and taking Dr Cole by the hand.

The couple left and Olivia wriggled out from under Reed's arm. "Coming to the mess hall with me?"

Before he could answer, Daniel entered the infirmary with Vala trailing along behind him. Olivia had only met Vala briefly before coming to Atlantis, but she was a pretty memorable woman. The exact nature of her relationship with Daniel intrigued Olivia but she knew better than to ask personal questions.

Daniel gave a relieved sigh upon seeing Olivia and Reed sitting on the table. "Thank God you're still here. I only just heard you got back."

"Is it true?" Olivia asked immediately, jumping off the table as he approached them.

"It was definitely Morgan Le Fay. I've got some new leads. I need information on an Ancient man named Moros."

The name rang a bell with Olivia. "Wasn't he High Councillor when the city was abandoned?"

Behind her, Reed slid smoothly off the examination table and held out his hand to Vala. "Matt Reed. Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Vala elbowed Daniel. "Did you hear that? Ma'am!"

Daniel just ignored her as he seemed accustomed to doing. "I need your help getting information from the database. We're only here for another two days. I need to get as much as I can."

"I already have a fair bit on Moros. But I'm sure there's plenty more we can dig up. You want to start tonight?"

"Right away if you're not too tired."

"I'm fine. My lab isn't far from here." Olivia turned to Reed to apologise for skipping dinner, but he appeared to be making friends with Vala already so she turned back to Daniel. "You have to tell me everything, Daniel. I want to know what she was like."

Daniel just shrugged. "She seemed like she wanted to help us. The Others stopped her of course, but I think she was willing to break the rules." Daniel grabbed the back of Vala's jacket and pulled her away from Reed. "We're leaving, Vala. We have work to do."

"But-"

"No, Vala."

"Matt was going to show me-"

"_No_."

Vala pouted. "I really hate you sometimes, Daniel."

"I think I can live with that," he replied dryly, shoving her towards the door. He and Olivia hurried after her. "For what it's worth, Olivia, I'm sorry you weren't there to see Morgan."

Olivia glanced back over her shoulder at the drawn curtain. "Don't worry. I'm not sorry at all."

* * *

A/N: Sorry to bombard you with notes. Just wanted to say that the next chapter will cover Olivia's last few days on Atlantis. It's going to be titled 'Happy ending' and it'll be one hell of a ride. It's not finished yet and I want to make sure I do my best on this one, so it may take longer than a week to complete. But, as always, reviews make me write faster!


	15. Happy ending

A/N: Here it is! Apologies for the delay. It turned out to be harder to write than I had first anticipated. There might be more typos than normal because I only had time for a quick edit. I'll fix them later. I put the story up to an M rating because of this chapter. There is nothing explicit but there is adult content. Consider yourself warned. No direct link to an episode this time but it's set just before the Replicators make their appearance in 'Progeny'.

So, sit back, relax and enjoy the twists and turns. It's a wild one!

* * *

Olivia balanced the tray precariously in one hand as she activated the door signal to Evan's office. This had become their little ritual over the last few days. Since he was on light duties still, all he could really do was paperwork. Which inevitably made him grumpy. Olivia started to take lunch to him everyday in an attempt to take his mind off the fact that he was still grounded.

The door slid open. "Come in," Sheppard called.

Olivia frowned and entered the office. Her eyes swung immediately to Evan's empty desk. "Can I help you with something?" Sheppard asked from behind his own desk. He eyed the tray of food pointedly. "I take it that's not for me."

"Where's Major Lorne?"

"Not here."

Olivia sighed. "I can see that. Where is he?"

Sheppard stood up and came around the front of his desk. He narrowed his hazel eyes at her, as if trying to remember who she was. Olivia didn't care that he didn't ever remember her. It was probably better that he didn't place her as the woman who had almost elbowed him in the face and nearly hit him in the crotch with a chair.

Recognition slowly dawned and he gave her a lopsided smile. "Oh. You're Lorne's-"

"Friend," Olivia interrupted quickly. "Where is he?"

"He left for the Alpha Site about twenty minutes ago."

Olivia's hands tightened on the tray. "What? He's not supposed to be going off-world. Doctor's orders."

"I know the status of my own second in command," Sheppard replied tightly. "He's not allowed to go on any _missions_ yet. I've got a bunch of Marines running training exercises there. I sent Lorne along to supervise. It's just a baby-sitting job and I checked with Carson first, so relax."

It didn't sound like light duties to Olivia but she bit her tongue this time. She'd pushed Sheppard's authority about as far as she should. "All right. When is he back then?"

"Four days."

The tray wobbled and Sheppard reached out to catch a muffin that fell off the edge. "Four days?" Olivia echoed, her voice an octave higher than normal.

"Yeah. That a problem?" he asked, replacing the muffin carefully.

"No." Olivia looked down at the food, suddenly not hungry anymore. "I don't suppose you're hungry, Colonel?"

He shrugged. "I could eat."

Olivia thrust the tray into his hands. "Here. Enjoy."

He accepted it with a mumbled thanks and turned back to his desk. Olivia left the office, feeling flushed and breathing heavily. She stalked back to her lab, glowering at anyone who got in her way. Stupid Sheppard. Why did he have to ruin everything? And Evan! What was his problem now?

Back in her lab, Olivia opened her laptop and waited impatiently for it to boot up. Once in, she opened her emails and swept her eyes down the screen. Nothing. Not so much as one word. Plus she'd had her radio in her ear all day. What had she done to piss him off this time? She thought things had been going well since he was released from the infirmary two weeks ago. They were gradually falling back into their old friendship. But obviously that was just her opinion.

Olivia was still seething when Sophie wandered into the lab and perched herself on the edge of her desk. "You're back already? That was a very short lunch."

"He's gone," she replied simply.

"Gone? What do you mean?"

"Sheppard sent him to the Alpha Site for the next four days."

Sophie slipped off the desk, the distress evident on her face. "But you leave in _three_ days!"

Olivia slammed her laptop shut.

"Exactly."

* * *

Olivia's fingers clicked steadily over the keys of her laptop. She was writing an email to her parents and finalising arrangements to visit them in Connecticut once she got back to Earth. She paused to look out the window by her bed. The Lantean sun was setting. Her last night on Atlantis had officially started.

Sighing deeply, she hit send on the email, trusting that it would be sent through in the data burst that was scheduled in a few days.

Her four suitcases were lined up neatly by the door, packed and ready to be loaded onto the Daedalus the following morning. She had been instructed to leave all Atlantis equipment and uniforms behind in her room. The next lucky expedition member to arrive was probably going to get her room and laptop. And someone would eventually be re-issued her uniforms.

Well, they were going to get a nasty surprise then because she had removed the official Atlantis expedition patch from the arm of one of the jackets. There was just a blank spot there now and the Velcro patch was tucked away discreetly among her underwear.

Olivia figured she was entitled to leave with something a little more tangible than memories. No matter how good the memories were. And most of them were indeed good.

She had hoped to spend the night wandering the city reminiscing about her time spent there. Her friends all had other ideas. Emma, Sophie and Jess wanted to eat dinner with her out on one of the piers and Reed was insisting on dragging her to the movie being shown in the rec room later.

It was for the best, Olivia reasoned. She'd probably just end up crying alone in an alcove all night if she was left to her own devices.

She glanced at her watch and realised she would be late for dinner if she didn't leave her quarters soon. Refusing to dwell on the emptiness of her room any longer, she snatched her sweater off the bed and slipped it on. She needed some food and the safe, easy company of her friends.

Olivia made her way slowly to the designated spot. Emma, Sophie and Jess were already there, an array of food spread between them on a blanket. Sophie was pouring red wine into four plastic cups. They all greeted her warmly, but Olivia could hear the tentative tone. No one seemed to know how to deal with her anymore. It was as if everyone expected her to have a nervous breakdown at any moment.

"Sorry I'm late, guys. How'd you score the wine?" Olivia asked, claiming her own spot on the blanket.

"Courtesy of your favourite lieutenant," Emma answered. "His words, not mine," she clarified quickly.

Olivia smiled and sniffed at the wine. It didn't seem too bad. Preferable to beer anyway.

"So what did you do all afternoon?" Jess asked.

"I finished packing, said some goodbyes, stole an Atlantis patch. Just the usual stuff," Olivia answered dully.

No one said anything. Eventually they all turned their attention to the food and began eating. Olivia didn't need anyone's sympathy or pity. Evan had left without saying goodbye and that was the end of the story. She hadn't received his forgiveness either, which cut a little deeper. Still, there was no point in everyone walking on eggshells around her.

But, of course, Emma was never one to ignore the elephant in the room. "Still no word from Lorne?" she asked around a mouthful or bread.

Sophie shushed her but Olivia shook her head. "Still no word. Not that I'm expecting anything at this point."

"Did you talk to Sheppard about it?" Jess asked.

"And say what exactly? He's hardly going to cut military training short just so I can have a heartfelt goodbye with his second in command. I somehow don't pick him as the romantic type."

"Then just go to the Control Room and ask them to dial the Alpha Site so you can send a message through," Sophie suggested.

Olivia had already contemplated that. "Have a private conversation in full view of all the technicians? No thanks. Besides, I can't just use the Gate like that to satisfy my own agenda."

"Maybe Dr Weir would-"

"No," Olivia said, cutting Jess off sharply. "Let's not do this right now. I'm tired of thinking about it. The bottom line is he left without saying goodbye and I figure he had good reason for that."

"Yeah, he's a callous moron. That's a reason," Emma said.

"He's no such thing," Sophie said tartly. "If he left without saying goodbye then he must expect to be back in time to see you before the Daedalus leaves. Don't give up hope yet, Liv."

Sadly, Olivia had already given up hope quite a while ago. The Daedalus was leaving at precisely 0900 tomorrow morning and Reed had found out that Evan and the Marines wouldn't be back till that time the day after next. Unless he was willing to disobey a direct order from Sheppard, there was no way Evan would be returning to Atlantis sooner than that.

"I don't want to talk about him for the rest of the night," Olivia said firmly. "I need to be cheered up, not depressed any more than I already am."

"Well, Emma and I submitted our leave requests today," Sophie offered. "Dr McKay said he would let us know in the morning."

Emma snorted. "Actually, he said: Yes, yes, I'm busy now. I'll look at it in the morning. Now get out of my lab."

"That sounds more like it," Olivia said with a little chuckle.

"Our department head already approved our leave so there's no reason McKay won't. We should be able to get a spot on the Deadalus for the very next return trip."

"That'll be great. I'm taking a few days off to visit my parents, then I'm straight back to work at the SGC. If you let me know when you're coming over I'll take a few days off then as well."

Emma grinned devilishly. "Sounds perfect. Colorado Springs won't know what hit it!"

Sophie tutted. "No partying for me. I quite like the idea of a white, sandy beach and palm trees."

"And those cocktails you drink right out of the coconut," Jess added, looking off wistfully.

"Yeah. I like the sound of that, too," Emma said. "As much as I love Atlantis, I'm a little jealous that you're going back to Earth, Liv. There are a lot of things I miss."

The rest of their evening consisted of the women discussing all the things they missed about Earth. It cheered Olivia up considerably. She hadn't yet appreciated the fact that she was returning to the land of fast food and television and chocolate that wasn't rationed out. Earth did have its little luxuries.

Olivia's watch beeped insistently at her and she realised it was time to make her way to the rec room for the movie night. She'd only been to a few and had found them enjoyable. She didn't know what movie was being shown yet but someone on the Daedalus was always bringing over new release DVDs. So at least she would be guaranteed not to have seen it.

Her friends were currently reminiscing about food they missed. Olivia took a moment to look out over the calm Lantean ocean. The moon was hanging bright and low in the sky. She stared hard, wanting to imprint the view into her memory. One day, she hoped to be able to sit at her desk at the SGC and close her eyes and picture this scene perfectly. She knew eventually her memories of Atlantis would fade, but for a while at least she could retreat there when the stark concrete walls of the Cheyenne Mountain bunker became too oppressive.

"I better go and meet up with Reed. He'll get angry if I miss the beginning of the movie," Olivia said, getting to her feet slowly.

"Okay. We'll see you at breakfast."

Sophie reached out to pat her on the leg. "Try to enjoy the rest of your night, mon amie. Don't dwell on things that might or might not happen in the morning."

Olivia wanted to say that she already knew what would happen in the morning, but she figured it was pointless. Sophie was an eternal optimist. Instead, she thanked her friends for the picnic dinner then headed off back towards the heart of the city.

The rec room was buzzing with conversation when she arrived. The space had been filled with chairs from the mess hall and there were a few couches lined up right in front of the projection screen. Reed was sprawled across one, idly tossing popcorn up into the air and catching it in his mouth.

Olivia went over and snatched a piece of popcorn out of the air. "I hope you ate a proper dinner before you started in on the snacks, Matthew."

He sat up and moved his legs so she could sit down beside him. "Of course I did. And don't call me Matthew."

"How long have you been waiting here?"

"Ages. You have to get here early to get the comfy seats."

"You didn't have to do that. I appreciate you just getting me out of my room for the night."

"No problem. Did you enjoy your last day here?" Reed asked, handing her the bowl of popcorn.

"No," Olivia replied honestly. "I had to say goodbye to a lot of people I'm going to miss. Teyla gave me an Athosian bracelet earlier and I almost burst into tears. How's that for composure? Then for some reason I felt compelled to kiss Dr Zelenka on the cheek. Twice! It was an awkward, sad day all around."

"I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it," he said sincerely.

"Thanks for the wine though, that was a nice end to a nightmarish day."

"You're welcome." Reed swivelled on the couch to face her, looking uncharacteristically serious for a moment. "Look, Liv, I wasn't going to bring it up but I feel like I have to say something. If you want me to help you get in contact with Lorne, just say the word."

Olivia met his eyes for only a moment then dropped her gaze to the popcorn in her lap. "Thanks but I've decided I'm done. I can't be the only one making an effort anymore. He left without saying anything to me."

"I know that, but I've already explained that Sheppard only gave him just over an hour's notice."

"It takes a few seconds to contact someone over the radio, Reed. You don't have to make excuses for him, all right. What's done is done."

"Fine," Reed snapped, taking the bowl away from her. "But I want to go on the record and say that this whole thing is needlessly complicated and stupid."

Olivia smiled and patted him on the arm. "When you finally settle down and stick with one woman for longer than a night you'll learn that most good relationships are needlessly complicated and stupid."

"You do realise you two aren't exactly a ringing endorsement for monogamy?" he pointed out. "I think I'll keep avoiding it entirely, thanks. I don't need the headache."

"I think you'll find a special woman eventually and you'll want to stick with her. Who knows, maybe you've already met her," Olivia said, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"Are you seriously coming on to me right now?"

"No, dummy. I'm trying to say that there are plenty of women in this city and if you stop treating them as your personal harem and get to know some of them properly, you might find yourself wanting your own stupid, complicated relationship."

"Doubtful." Reed tossed her a smirk and turned back to face the screen.

Olivia sighed and got to her feet. "I'm going to see what's left on the snack table. Do you want anything?"

"No thanks. Be quick, the movie's starting in a few minutes."

The room was just about full now. Olivia noted it was mostly women and a few couples scattered around. A table against one wall held an array of snack foods. She surveyed what was left and crinkled her nose. The good stuff was already gone. Typical of her luck.

Olivia was scooping a few measly carrot sticks into a bowl when Theresa Newbury sidled up to her, looking smug and amused about something.

"Lt Reed, huh?"

"What about him?" Olivia demanded, trying to sidestep around the woman to get back to her seat.

"Lorne wasn't interested so you moved onto his team mate. That's really classy."

Olivia's hand clenched around the bowl, causing the flimsy plastic to crack under the pressure. Now was not the time to get up in her face. "Reed's a friend and nothing more," she replied through gritted teeth.

"That's sweet," Theresa cooed, tilting her head to the side. "Don't worry, I'll keep a close eye on him when you're gone. A _very_ close eye."

Olivia tipped her head back and laughed. "Yeah right! I'd love to see you try it on with Reed. Contrary to popular belief, he actually does have standards. He's stood toe to toe with Wraith before so he knows pure evil when he sees it. You've got no chance with him."

Theresa turned red and opened her mouth to reply, but Olivia cut her off. "I'm really going to miss you, Newbury. It's been fun watching you try to keep up with me. Practice the snappy retorts and if we ever meet again you might stand a chance. Bye!"

Olivia darted around her and sauntered back to her seat. She dropped beside Reed just as the lights dimmed. "Do you know what movie we're watching?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Never bothered to ask. But now I'm worried it's going to be a chick-flick. There's an awful lot of women in here."

"You can leave if you want. I don't mind."

"Like I'd leave you alone to eat carrots in the dark like a loser. I said I'd take you to the movie and that's what I'm doing. Shut up and watch it."

Olivia settled herself back onto the plush cushions of the couch as the movie began. It was the latest incarnation of Pride And Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley.

"Aaw, shit," Reed muttered miserably from beside her.

* * *

Just over an hour to go now.

Olivia dropped her suitcase abruptly, causing a dull thud to echo the length of the corridor. The personnel quarters were all deserted and quiet now. Everyone had gone to breakfast then started their working day. Olivia had never felt more out of place on Atlantis.

She closed the door to her room for the last time and glanced left and right. Reed had promised to bring Coughlin along to help her take her luggage out to the Daedalus. He was probably still stuffing his face at the mess hall, she figured. He'd fallen asleep about twenty minutes into the movie last night and had snored through the rest of it, but Olivia had enjoyed herself nonetheless. It had been nice to forget her own disastrous love life for a while and lose herself in one of the greatest literary romances of all time.

Sighing, she sat on top of one of her cases and waited. Where was her Mr Darcy when she needed him?

She had always had a penchant for epic romances, but all she ever ended up with was broken hearts and divorce proceedings. There was no guaranteeing it wouldn't have been the same with Evan. She had been infatuated with both of her husbands, only to find that her feelings waned far too quickly. Her attraction to Evan was certainly wild and impassioned now, but who was to say that would last forever.

Olivia was broken from her contemplations by the sound of footsteps. Heavy military boots by the sound of it. Only one set, so not Reed and Coughlin.

Evan.

She bit the inside of her cheek and kept her gaze trained on the floor. She didn't want to look up eagerly into those serene blue eyes and give him a reprieve. He had shown up at last, but she wasn't going to let him off the hook that easily.

Evan got within a few feet of her and he still hadn't said anything to her. Inconsiderate ass.

"You sure took your sweet time," she commented darkly, just before she looked up.

Sergeant Stackhouse frowned down at her. "What?"

Olivia turned red and jumped to her feet. "Oh, sorry. I thought you were someone else. What are you doing here?"

"I came to say goodbye to you. Should I not have bothered?"

Olivia's heart rate slowly began to return to normal. Her Evan-radar was clearly way off. Why had she even got her hopes up in the first place? She forced a smile. "No, no. It's really nice of you, Sergeant. Thank you."

He held out his hand to her, which she shook. "It was nice working with you, Meyers. You didn't make my life a living hell off-world which I appreciate."

"Thanks for keeping me safe. I know it's not easy for you guys to take untrained civilians off-world all the time."

"Just doing my job, Doc."

Olivia heard more footsteps approaching from the opposite end of the corridor. She looked over her shoulder to see it was Emma and Sophie. She had only seen them a while ago at breakfast but they had insisted on coming to escort her to the Daedalus. Sophie gave her a smile; Emma wasn't even looking at her though.

She turned back to Stackhouse as he hurriedly said, "Good luck back at the SGC. Don't get yourself killed."

"Same to you, Sergeant."

He turned crisply on his heel and walked away. Emma and Sophie appeared on either side of her. "What did Sergeant stick-up-his-ass want?" Emma asked.

Olivia turned to her. "Oh, he just wanted to say…"

"Say what?" Emma prompted.

Olivia had frozen, her mouth hanging open comically. Emma stared at her and she managed to squawk, "Holy crap!"

"_What_?"

"It was Stackhouse! You had sex with Stackhouse!"

"Stop it!" Emma ordered. "Stop trying to guess who it was!"

"I don't need to guess anymore. I know it was him! Ha! I told you I'd work it out."

"You haven't worked out anything," Emma said firmly, folding her arms and half turning away.

"Really? So if I were to call him back here and confront him would he-"

"All right! So I had drunken sex with Stackhouse once. How the hell did you work that out from one little comment I made?"

Olivia grinned smugly. "I didn't. You gave him a once over earlier as if I wasn't even standing there, then you just checked out his ass as he was walking away."

"I did nothing of the sort!"

"I think you did," Sophie spoke up, patting her friend on the arm. "There is nothing to be ashamed of."

"Yeah, he's a good looking guy. He certainly wears a pair of aviators well," Olivia added.

"But he's boring as hell. Honestly, if the man has a wild side then it's buried so deep that even I can't get to it. And that's saying something."

"Oh, Em, I can't believe you never told me. I could have put in a good word for you."

"No thanks. One night was more than enough for me." Emma pointed down the corridor. "Look your bellboys are here now so stop talking about it. I don't want anyone else to know."

"All right," Olivia relented.

"Morning," Reed greeted them all cheerfully. Coughlin just nodded beside him.

"Thanks for your help with my bags."

"Not a problem," Reed said, handing two of the cases to his team mate, then lifting up the remaining two. "Ready to go?"

"No," Olivia answered immediately. "I could spend the rest of my life here and never be ready to go."

Everyone gave her sad, furtive glances and the group started off towards the nearest transporter. They walked in silence most of the way. Olivia didn't have anything else left to say to any of them. Her emotions were raw enough that she was worried she'd start crying when they all started saying their final goodbyes.

"I take it Lorne didn't miraculously show up?" Reed asked.

"Emma had sex with Sergeant Stackhouse," Olivia blurted, deflecting attention away from herself.

"Oh my God! Olivia!"

Coughlin looked horrified to hear this. Reed just nodded thoughtfully. "Really? That's interesting. I always thought he would be built like a G.I Joe action figure. You know, completely smooth below the waist."

When Olivia and Sophie laughed, Emma grunted and shoved them into the transporter. The door shut behind them. "Thanks a lot, Liv! Now Reed knows."

"Relax," Olivia said, hitting a spot on the city map. "It's not like he'll tell anyone. Besides, I need someone to keep teasing you about it once I'm gone."

"I hate you."

The women exited the transporter and waited for the other two to show up. It was now only a few hundred metres to where the Daedalus was docked outside by the pier. Olivia was beginning to feel a little numb. It was like she was having an out of body experience. The time had finally come and now everything was becoming surreal.

It felt like only days ago that she had arrived. There was no way twelve months had already past. It had gone way too fast.

"Do you want us to take your stuff aboard while you say goodbye to the girls?" Reed asked.

Olivia nodded and swallowed thickly. He and Coughlin continued towards the exit and Olivia stopped with Emma and Sophie.

Sophie hugged her immediately. "We will see you soon, Olivia. It's not really goodbye yet."

"I still hate you," Emma said, joining in on the hug.

"I'll miss you both a lot," Olivia said, blinking back tears.

"No crying! Like Sophie just said, it's not really goodbye. We'll see you back on Earth in less than two months."

"Okay." Olivia took a few deep breaths to regain her composure. "You two look after each other and stay out of trouble. Pegasus is a dangerous galaxy."

"The same could also be said about the Milky Way right now," Sophie pointed. "Make sure you stay away from the Ori."

"I'll do my best," Olivia promised.

"Do you want us to stay with you for a little longer?"

"No. I still have fifty minutes before I have to be onboard. I think I'll take a walk around by myself to clear my head."

"All right. Goodbye, Liv."

"Goodbye for now."

"For now," Olivia agreed.

They released her from the hug and she could see that they both looked a little teary. None of them said anything else. Emma took Sophie firmly by the elbow and the pair headed back into the heart of the city.

Olivia made her way down the corridor. She could smell the fresh ocean breeze now. When she emerged out onto the pier, Reed and Coughlin were walking towards her, the Daedalus looming stoic and monstrous behind them.

"Goodbye, Doc. Nice meeting you," Coughlin said, giving her an awkward handshake.

Olivia smiled warmly at him. "Nice meeting you, Captain. Thanks for your help. Take care of yourself out there."

"Same to you."

Coughlin headed back inside and Reed put his arm around Olivia's shoulders and drew her towards the edge of the pier. "Believe it or not, but that was very touching. I've never seen him like that. He must be really fond of you."

"Probably just glad to see the back of me."

"You going to be all right?"

"Yep," Olivia replied confidently. Eventually she would be. "I've been through enough to know that time heals all wounds."

"Do you want me to say anything to Lorne when he gets back?"

"I can think of a few choice words you could pass on, but you'd end up getting thrown in the brig."

"Right. Well, I'll tell him you're fine and that you didn't care that he wasn't here to see you off."

Olivia bit her lip hesitantly and looked out across the churning ocean. "Will you keep an eye on him?" she eventually asked. "I mean, I know you already watch his back off-world, but keep an eye on him here as well. He isolates himself too much sometimes. Make sure he's looking after himself and not getting stressed out by the job."

"I will, Liv. But he's still my superior officer; there's only so much I can do."

"I know that," Olivia conceded. Evan would hide behind rank to avoid talking to anyone about his problems. "Go to Heightmeyer and Sheppard if you have to. Just make sure he's okay. I hate it when he beats himself up about things that are out of his control."

"Yeah, he's stupid like that," Reed said with a playful smile.

"You better look after yourself as well. I don't want to hear about you getting hurt…or worse."

"Don't worry, I'm finally old enough now to realise I'm not indestructible."

Olivia put her arms around his torso and squeezed. "Thanks for everything, Matt. You're like the little brother I never actually wanted."

He returned the hug, digging his fingers into her ribs and making her squirm. "Thanks a lot, Liv. For what it's worth, you're the sister I definitely wish I had."

Olivia just laughed and wriggled away from him. She knew he had three older brothers who had made his childhood and teenage years hell. "Will you visit me when you come back on leave?"

"Of course. I also expect you to email me occasionally so I know you're okay."

"I'll do that."

"Are you going to sign in?" Reed asked, nodding towards the Daedalus.

Olivia glanced at her watch. "I've still got a while. I might as well get as much fresh air as I can before I get stuck on that flying tin can for the next eighteen days."

"Flying tin can," he repeated. "I can't believe you have no appreciation for a beautiful piece of machinery."

"Sorry, but I can't look fondly on the ship that's going to take me away from Atlantis forever."

"You'll be back one day. I know it."

"Just like you knew Evan and I would end up together? You might be charming and good with a gun, but your clairvoyance skills are lacking a little."

Reed shrugged nonchalantly. "I just didn't take into account the fact that you're both stubborn idiots."

Olivia ignored his fairly accurate assessment of her and Evan. "You better get back in the city. I'm sure you've got somewhere to be."

"Well, Ronon did talk me into meeting up for a sparring session this morning."

"Then you better get going. I wouldn't want you to miss your beating." She kissed him quickly on the cheek. "Bye, Matt. Keep yourself alive please."

"I will. Bye, Liv. Try not to miss me too much."

He tossed her a parting wink then turned and started jogging back towards the city. Olivia sat herself down on the pier, her legs dangling off the edge. In the distance, dark clouds were rolling in and the wind had picked up. A Lantean storm was approaching the city. Perfect. Olivia leant back on her hands and watched it sweep in.

* * *

Olivia glanced at her watch. Again. She promised herself it would be the last time. She was going to give herself carpal tunnel at this rate.

Twenty-five minutes left. Twenty-five minutes left then she had to be onboard signing in with the Daedalus crew. Twenty-five minutes and Colonel Caldwell would instruct his people to begin pre-flight procedures.

The final weight of inevitability weighed heavily on Olivia suddenly. No one had come to her rescue and fought for her to stay on Atlantis. The IOA had not issued a last minute reprieve. And for the past week she had been checking her email every hour on the hour. Nothing.

Evan hadn't come to say goodbye.

That hurt the most. Physically hurt. It felt like a vice was slowly being tightened around her chest. Sure, she had made mistakes in their relationship, but she didn't deserve to be disregarded so completely.

Olivia could feel tears stinging at her eyes again. She clenched her jaw and lifted her chin. She wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction of defeating her and seeing her crumble. Not the IOA and certainly not Evan.

There was nothing else for it. Pouring rain had forced her to take refuge back in the city but if she stood there in that corridor any longer she'd just be doing herself more harm. Time to board the Daedalus, check herself in and curl up in her tiny bunk for the next eighteen days.

So Olivia began her slow walk down the corridor. As she walked, she ran her fingertips along the wall, feeling the quiet, steady hum and saying a mental farewell to the great city of the Ancients. It was a small comfort that she would be taking a piece of it back with her on the multiple hard drives she had loaded with –

Footsteps?

Military boots?

Not possible. Olivia kept walking.

Louder footsteps. Hurried footsteps.

"Olivia! Wait!"

She stopped, palm pressed against the cool brushed-metal of the wall. She didn't dare turn around. It had to be a hallucination. Her mind was strained to the point where it was conjuring up comforting voices.

"Olivia? What are you doing?"

She turned around oh-so-slowly, dreading the sight of an empty corridor behind her. But of course it wasn't empty. Major Evan Lorne stood in the middle of the corridor wearing his full Atlantis uniform and a perplexed look on his face.

"Are you all right?" he asked, taking a few tentative steps towards her.

Olivia didn't move or speak. She didn't know what to say first. Every possible response was swirling around in her mind, colliding and jumbling till she didn't even think she could manage one coherent word. Screaming and stomping her feet seemed like the only viable answer to his idiotic question.

Evan was smiling at her. He was still coming towards her, step by cautious step. Now she could see his eyes. She thought they appeared darker than normal but that could have just been a trick of the muted lighting in the long corridor.

He spoke again, the smile never leaving his face. "You look like you're going through some inner turmoil. You look like you can't decide whether you want to slap me or rip my pants off. Well, you're going to have to pick one because I won't let you do both."

His obvious amusement made Olivia finally reach breaking point. She closed the distance between them in a few strides and thumped her fist in the middle of his chest. Her mind cleared, one sentiment rising to the surface.

"You idiot! You utter fucking idiot!"

Evan absorbed her feeble blows without flinching. His smile still didn't falter but he did lower his eyes sheepishly. "I know. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry?" she shrieked, whacking him again because it felt good. "What the hell are you doing? I have to leave in twenty minutes!"

"I realise I'm cutting it a little close. I honestly thought I could get back sooner. I couldn't let you leave without saying one last thing to you." He caught her fist and held it to his chest. "I forgive you, Olivia."

Olivia spun away from him and smacked herself in the forehead with the heel of her hand. "Are you kidding me right now? Please tell me this is a joke. You choose right _now_ to forgive me?"

"I really forgave you days ago, but I was a little occupied. The whole time I was in the wilderness with those jarheads, all I could think about was you. I thought about the situation you were in. How hard it must have been to try to tell me you were leaving."

"It _was_ hard," Olivia said softly, her back still turned to him.

"And I know I didn't help things by pulling away after the Genii incident. I'm able now to admit that I screwed this up just as much as you did. You hurt me, Liv, but I forgive you now. You never meant for it to happen that way."

"I didn't," she agreed, her voice barely above a whisper now. "And I'll always be sorry about it."

He was only a few steps behind her now. She could feel the heat radiating off his body. She could smell him now too. A hint of his aftershave beneath dirt and grass and general outdoors smells.

Olivia ignored the way her body tingled now he was in close proximity to her. "You left without saying anything, Evan. I thought you hated me again."

"I'm sorry about that. I was a coward," he admitted. "I didn't know what to say to you so I didn't say anything at all. I shouldn't have done that."

"You could have tried saying goodbye," she suggested huffily.

"Would that have been enough for you?" Evan asked, his breath warm across the back of her neck. "We've been through too much for just a simple goodbye. I have a lot more to say to you."

Olivia checked her watch. "Right, then you better get on with it because I'm gone in eighteen minutes."

When he spoke again, his voice was right in her ear. "I want you, Liv."

"Excuse me?"

"I want you," he repeated huskily. "More than I've ever wanted anyone else."

Olivia was glad he couldn't see her face. She had gone bright red and her eyes had closed involuntarily at the blatantly seductive sound of his voice. Before she could formulate any sort of response his arm snaked around her waist and he pulled her back against him. She couldn't stifle her gasp. "That had better be your gun, Evan Lorne, because I'm not in the mood to play games."

He laughed and tightened his grip on her. "My gun's on my thigh," he reminded her lightly. "And who said anything about playing games. I'm deadly serious right now."

Olivia twisted around to face him. He didn't relinquish his hold so she remained pressed against him. Nope. Definitely not his gun. She willed herself to stop blushing like some virginal schoolgirl. "What exactly do you think is going to happen here? I'm about to leave."

"There's a lot that two consenting adults can do in eighteen minutes."

Olivia began to feel a little woozy. She had been so up and down over the last week, oscillating between anger, depression, regret and longing. Now this. It was too much for her to process. "What's happening?" she asked blearily.

"Whatever you want to happen," Evan answered. "You're in charge here. We won't do anything you aren't ready for."

Olivia slumped against him, her hands twisting in the front of his jacket. "But I think my brain's stopped working. I can't think straight."

Evan smiled down at her. "I don't have a lot of blood flowing to my brain right now either, but I'm sure this is what I want. Judging by the colour of your cheeks and the fact that your pupils are the size of dinner plates, I'm guessing that you want this as well. All you have to do now is tell me. Say it, Olivia."

Her brain may have been lagging a little with the wild turn of events, but her body was screaming at her. She had to clench her thighs together to dull the sudden throbbing between her legs. What harm could it possibly do now? She was leaving no matter what. And it was closure of some sort. She needed _some _sort of resolution before she went back to Earth.

"I want you. I don't remember a time when I didn't want you."

Evan grinned, dimples dazzling her at close range. "Thank God. I didn't know what I was going to do if you said no."

Like she could really say no at this point. He ducked his head suddenly and captured her lips with his own, taking her breath away literally and figuratively. They kissed slowly, trying to find their footing again and remember their rhythm. Evan's tongue slipped into her mouth to brush against hers and that was it for both of them. He grabbed the back of her head and deepened the kiss and Olivia became utterly boneless in his arms.

The hand that wasn't currently buried in her hair slid down to cup her backside and hold her still as his hips ground against her. Olivia's own hands slipped to his belt and she began to fumble with it. Evan groaned into her mouth and grabbed hold of her hands. He wrenched his lips away and took half a step back. "Wait, wait. This is a public corridor."

"Where then?" she asked breathlessly.

"This way." He took her hand and began to lead her back down the corridor towards a closed door. "Sorry. It's not the most romantic place in the city."

Olivia just shrugged. She was happy to leave the romance to Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy for now. Quick, dirty sex had its merits as well. "I couldn't care less right now. Let's just make it quick."

Evan peered back over his shoulder at her. "I don't think that's gonna be a problem. Frankly, it'll be a miracle if I last more than two minutes."

"Gee, you really know how to make a girl feel special."

"Just being honest with you, Liv. Come on. Ladies first."

He swiped his hand over the panel and the door slid open smoothly. The lights flared to life as Olivia entered. She quickly dimmed them and took a look around. The floor was piled with cardboard boxes from Earth and the shelves that lined the room were filled with perishable food.

"We're going to have sex in a supply closet?" she asked incredulously.

"Not if you don't want to," Evan said from behind her. She turned around just as the door closed. He shrugged out of his jacket and threw it atop some nearby boxes.

Olivia's mouth went dry. The source of so many of her fantasies was standing in front of her untucking his t-shirt hurriedly. Not to mention the source of so many of her frustrations. She launched herself at him and he fell back against the door with a groan. She buried her face in his neck, licking and kissing the soft skin there. This was his one weakness she had discovered during their very brief time together and she was pleased to find it still drove him crazy.

In a flash, he reversed their position and pinned her against the door. She instinctively lifted one of her legs and wrapped it around his waist. Evan groaned and reached for her other thigh and lifted her off the ground, sandwiching her between the door and his body. Olivia's ankles locked behind his back and she gasped at the sudden contact. They'd be joined now if it weren't for a few scraps of clothing.

"You okay?" Evan asked, meeting her gaze squarely.

Olivia knew he could see the doubt and trepidation creeping in at the edges of her mind. "What the hell are we doing here, Evan?"

"I like to think we're bringing our messed up relationship to its inevitable climax."

"No pun intended?"

"Oh no, pun definitely intended."

Olivia sighed and ran her hands up and down his back, feeling the muscles bunched there as he held her against the door. "But why? What's the point?"

"Who cares?" Evan said, his voice low and harsh. "That's our problem, Olivia. We were over thinking everything before. This is what we both want! What we both _need_."

Olivia nodded slowly. Her brain just wouldn't switch off. Would it be better not to know what sex with Evan was like? Would it be harder to walk away from him after it?

"Look, if I had got back earlier we would have had time to talk about it properly. We'd be in my quarters on my bed and I would have made sure everything was perfect. But things didn't turn out that way. This right here is the best I can do. You can take it or leave it, but I need to know right now before we go any further."

Finally she stopped thinking and just felt. She felt her heart pounding in her chest. She felt Evan's fingers digging into her thighs. She felt the heat spread through her body at the idea that he actually wanted her. Then she felt everything slowly click and slide into place. Twelve months of uncertainty and stupidity had led to this moment. Who was she to deny either of them this release. Damn the analysis and the consequences.

Olivia smiled coyly and cocked her head. "Wait, what were my options again? Slap you or rip your pants off?"

"Yep."

"And I can't do both?"

"Nope."

She brought her lips to his ear and whispered, "Option number two then."

Evan let out a triumphant grunt and turned her away from the door. She threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him in for a hot, wet kiss. They stumbled blindly across the room, knocking over boxes and bumping into shelves till Olivia's back hit a wall and their frenzied progress was halted.

Olivia tore her lips away from his and he immediately shifted his attention to her neck and collarbone. "Evan, we're going to have to start losing clothing soon. We don't have much time."

"Right," he said once he had finished leaving a trail of kisses from her shoulder to her ear. "Let's doing something about the clothing situation then."

She thought he was going to return her feet to the floor, but instead he turned to the right and deposited her on top of a pile of boxes that were sitting at waist height.

"Comfy?" he asked.

Olivia wriggled around a little to make sure the boxes were sturdy then nodded. She went to reach for the hem of his shirt, but he moved quicker and got hold of her shirt first. She raised her arms obediently as he pulled it up and threw it aside hastily. His burning gaze settled on her chest and Olivia felt herself blush.

Damn it. She was wearing the least sexy bra she owned. A boring grey t-shirt bra that she'd owned for years. Admittedly, closet-sex with Evan hadn't been on the agenda when she had dressed that morning so there had been no need for lace and silk.

Olivia was about to explain that she did in fact own sexy underwear when without warning, Evan lowered his head and ran his tongue along the top edge of her bra cup. It aroused and tickled her so much that she almost fell right off the box.

"Careful," Evan said, chuckling as he grabbed her waist to steady her again. His hands then slid up the sides of her rib cage and around to pull at the clasp of her bra.

"Hold it," she said abruptly and pushed his hands away. "Slow down, cowboy. How about you even up the score first. You've got a lot more to take off than I have."

He stepped back and began to lift the bottom of his black shirt. Olivia caught a tantalising glimpse of stomach before he lowered it again and smirked at her. She frowned quizzically at him as he dropped to one knee and began undoing his boots.

"You're such a tease," she muttered and rolled her eyes.

"Relax. You'll get everything you want in a couple of minutes."

Olivia's stomach clenched pleasantly at the thought of getting everything. Another rather important thought bubbled up to the surface of her mind. "Evan, you have protection with you, right?"

He stopped tugging at his laces and looked up at her. "What?"

"A condom. You have one, right?"

"Uh, no. I thought you had taken care of that."

"Oh God," Olivia groaned. She felt like she'd had a bucket of ice water thrown over. "I stopped taking the Pill when I got to Atlantis," she said softly.

Evan straightened up and planted his hands on his hips. "Are you serious? Why would you do something like that?"

"I didn't come here to have sex," she said defensively. "And if it were to happen then I figured my partner would have a condom handy."

Evan's tone was just as defensive. "Yeah, all the way back in my room, but I've been off-world training Marines. Why would I have taken condoms with me?"

"I don't know what you military guys like to do in your spare time."

"Shit, Olivia."

"Yeah."

Evan turned away and Olivia jumped off the boxes. Her knees were a little wobbly and she reached out to steady herself against the wall. She could no longer keep up with the whirlwind of the last few minutes.

"Ev, what do we do now?" she asked.

He turned back to her and Olivia could see the hesitation in his eyes. She was going through the same thing. Was it worth the risk? Olivia ran through her mental calendar, counting days and trying to remember her high school sex education classes.

Olivia quickly realised it wouldn't be worth the risk, even if it turned out to be minimal. Neither of them was prepared to look after a baby. Evan must have reached the same conclusion because he retrieved her shirt from a nearby shelf of canned peaches. Olivia accepted it wordlessly and went to sit down against the nearest wall. Evan paced restlessly in front of her.

A loud, unidentifiable voice broke the tense silence for them. "Attention personnel. The Daedalus will be leaving in exactly ten minutes. Anyone scheduled to leave today must make their way to the east pier and report to the crew immediately."

"So that's it then," Evan said once the announcement had cut off. "This is how it ends."

"It's probably what we deserve," Olivia decided. "If we hadn't fucked things up so spectacularly we could have had a really good time for a few months."

Evan sighed and came to sit beside her. "Do you think we could have really made it work? Properly, I mean. Not just sex."

"I don't know. It would have been fun to find out though."

"I think we were doomed from the start. A soldier and a scientist? Not exactly an ideological match. Look at what happened when we went off-world together."

Olivia rolled her eyes. "So we're the Atlantis equivalent of Romeo and Juliet then? Ill-fated and star-crossed from the day we met?"

"Maybe not that melodramatic but I think if we were meant to be together it would have happened."

"Not everyone gets a happy ending," Olivia reasoned.

"What the hell kind of ending is this?" Evan demanded. "I don't know what to feel right now. I was waiting and waiting for one of the Marines to screw up so I could call the training off early. I knew what I wanted to say when I got back and when it played out in my head it sure didn't end like this."

Olivia slid over and Evan put his arm around her. She snuggled against him and admitted, "I'm glad I got some sort of goodbye with you. Going back to Earth without seeing you again would have been awful. Don't forget me too quickly, will you."

"Like I could forget the woman who recited a love poem to me the first time I met her," Evan mumbled, his face buried in her hair.

"Oh God. I really did that," Olivia said with a little giggle. That was such a long time ago now, it felt like she'd lived a life-time in the past twelve months.

"How is this going to work? What happens when I come back on leave?"

Olivia thought about that for a moment. Bumping into Evan back at the SGC was a complicated notion. It wasn't the same as when she saw one of her ex-husbands because those relationships were definitely over and done with. Her relationship with Evan had stalled and would forever be stuck in limbo.

"Well, when you come back we could go out for lunch like friends do," she answered tentatively.

Evan laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Nice sentiment, but do you honestly think we can just go back to being friends after all this?"

Olivia licked her lips and was still able to taste him. Yeah. Maybe the 'just friends' ship had sailed. "What's the other option? I don't know how I feel about becoming your booty call back at the SGC. That wouldn't be good for either of us."

Evan took his time as well, probably also contemplating how this was supposed to work now. Eventually he said, "I guess you're right. There are a lot of men back on Earth and I don't expect you to be single forever. Just do me a favour and don't date any of the military guys at the SGC because there's a good chance I'll know them and that would be awkward."

"I'll agree to that if you promise you'll make an effort to find a nice woman here on Atlantis. Don't be alone forever because you've got some dumb hero complex that makes you isolate yourself."

"Liv, it's not-"

She pulled away from him and turned to meet his eyes. "Don't argue with me on this. I need to know you're going to be okay without me. I want you to find someone else."

Rather than say anything, he leant forward and kissed her softly and slowly. When he pulled back he was smiling. "I can't promise you anything but I'll try."

"That's probably the best I can expect. Just remember Emma and Sophie are off limits. Oh, and Theresa Newbury. Anyone but Theresa Newbury, all right."

"The linguist?"

Olivia nodded. "She's my mortal enemy."

"Don't be a drama queen. Only superheroes have mortal enemies."

"It's true. She'd love to get her claws into you once I leave. I thought she hated me because she had a thing for Daniel but maybe it's been you the whole time."

"Fine. I'll avoid her like the plague if that's what you want."

Olivia reached out to grasp his hand. "I need you to stay safe as well. Don't let Reed be dumb and reckless either. I'll be keeping an eye on your mission reports and I don't want to read about any close calls."

"We'll stay out of trouble. I've mentioned you to a few friends at the SGC and they're going to look out for you and make sure you go off-world with their teams. I trust them to keep you safe."

The idea that Evan would still be protecting her in a way made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. They were going to be in different galaxies but they could still be part of each others' lives. At least until they each moved on to other people, then it would just be weird.

"Should I email you sometimes?" Evan asked, getting to his feet slowly.

Olivia accepted his offered hand and he helped her up. "I'd like that. I still want to feel like I'm part of the expedition even though I'll never see Atlantis again."

"Once an expedition member, always an expedition member. That's how it works around here."

Olivia smiled to herself. She had the patch to prove it now. "Well, I guess I better get myself to the Daedalus before someone comes looking for me."

"There might be people using the corridor so let me leave first then follow after a few minutes." Evan pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the cheek softly. "Take care of yourself, Olivia."

"I'm going to be a lot safer than you," she reminded him lightly. "But I know what you mean and I will. Be careful out here, Evan. Pegasus can be a real bitch sometimes."

"Don't worry, I've learnt my lesson about telling naked women they should put clothes on. I won't make that mistake ever again."

"Good. I won't be here to rescue you next time."

They kissed one last time. A sweet, slow kiss that Olivia was hoping would get her through the next few weeks till she settled in back home. When Evan pulled away she maintained her death grip on his arms and stared at him, committing his features to memory.

"Come on. You better get going," he said, gently prying her fingers open.

Olivia reluctantly stepped back. She thought there was something else she should say, but the words wouldn't come out. Evan turned and made his way towards the door, which opened as he approached. He paused at the threshold and looked back over his shoulder at her. "Goodbye, Olivia. Thanks for making Atlantis an even better place to live for the past year."

"Bye, Evan."

He left and the door shut behind him. Olivia felt like falling in a heap on the floor. Nothing in their relationship had turned out the way she had wanted it to, but somehow it felt like that was the way it was meant to be. Like maybe it was the universe's way of telling them it wouldn't have worked out anyway.

Olivia held herself together a little longer and waited patiently for another minute before exiting the room. She stopped short when she slipped into the not-so-deserted corridor. Evan was there talking to Lt. Cadman, who was carrying a pair of duffel bags. Evidently she would be making the trip back as well.

She caught sight of Olivia immediately and stopped mid-sentence. Evan looked back and sighed. "Could have used another minute, Liv."

"Sorry."

Evan turned back to Cadman and raised a finger in warning. "Not a single word to anyone, Lieutenant."

"That an order, sir?"

"Just a friendly suggestion. Enjoy your trip, Cadman."

Evan began to walk away and Olivia quickly turned and began walking in the other direction. Cadman caught up with her in a few seconds and fell into step beside her.

"Help me carry one of these?" she asked.

Olivia held out her hand wordlessly and was given a bag. The pair emerged out onto the rainy pier and Cadman suddenly threw her arm around Olivia's shoulders. "We have a lot to talk about, Doc."

"We do?"

"Yeah, looks like it. Your shirt is on inside out."

She looked down at her shirt and in the full light of day she could see that Cadman was right. Crap. It was going to be a long eighteen days.

Olivia peered back over her shoulder and said a silent goodbye to the endlessly fascinating, steadfast sanctuary that was the Lost City of the Ancients.

* * *

Yep. That's it. Probably not the ending most of you were expecting/hoping for. I thought it was a fitting farewell for them. So the bad news is Olivia's really gone. The good news is I'm not done with these two yet. Not by a long shot…

I have _much_ more planned. Let me know if you want to read what happens and I'll post the next chapter ASAP!


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